Affordable Housing Updates - July 2014

Photo by Community Development Partners

Cypress Senior Living Grand Opening

The availability of affordable housing is an important issue to many Glendale residents. That is why Housing staff works tirelessly to identify a develop new opportunities for qualified citizens. CDD is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the Cypress Senior Living Apartments. This 18-unit building was once worn and dilapidated. Thanks to the investment of Community Development Partners, the newly rehabilitated building boasts 4 one-bedroom and 14 studio units with brand new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows and heating/air conditioning systems. A grand opening celebration will be held on Tuesday, July 29th at 9:00 AM. A housing lottery was held on May 15th to choose prospective tenants. 

Glendale Arts Colony

The proposed Glendale Arts Colony affordable housing apartments, to be developed by Meta Housing Corporation at 121 N. Kenwood Street in cooperation with the Glendale YMCA, were approved by the Housing Authority and the City Council this month. Federal tax credits were also recently approved for the project. Construction is anticipated to start by December 2014 and to be completed by June 2016. The multi-family rental development will provide 69 affordable rental units. Priority will be given to those low income tenants who may be relocated from the site for development of the project, for income qualifying artist households who live, work, or perform in Glendale, and other households that live and/or work in Glendale. Stay tuned for more news about this new project. 

New California Energy Code Now in Effect

New changes to the California Energy Code just went into effect on July 1, 2014. There are significant changes to the forms, installation certifications, HERS testing requirements and lighting.

What is the California Energy Code and why is it important?

The Building Energy Efficiency Standards were first adopted in 1978. Since then they undergo periodic updates that have polished the standards into a valuable part of California's energy efficiency strategy. The standards have generated positive changes including significant cost savings to Californians since the code was enacted. 

The California Energy Commission has published a Summary of Major Changes to help you understand some of the changes to the code. More information about the new energy code, can be found in the 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards Manual.

Neighborhood Litter at a Glance

Annual citywide scores since the survey's inception in 2003

Ever wonder how litter in your neighborhood compares to other neighborhoods in the City? Each year, with the help of volunteers from the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale, City staff take to the streets to assess litter throughout the City. The annual Litter Index Survey scores 24 areas throughout the City including freeways, industrial, residential and commercial neighborhoods, generating a significant amount of litter data.

Volunteers use a 4-point scoring system to grade the neighborhood routes they are driven to by staff. Each route has a series of stops where litter is assessed based on the grading scale as follows:

Green Streets Demonstration Project

                 Southwest corner of Harvard St. and Louise St.

Plans are underway to construct the City’s first Green Streets Demonstration Project. This environmentally friendly project will take place on approximately 1.1 miles of roadway on Harvard Street between Brand Boulevard and Isabel Street, and on Louise Street between Maple Avenue and Wilson Avenue in downtown Glendale. It will provide a safe and inviting pathway to encourage walking and biking to the Central Library, Adult Recreation Center, YMCA, Americana at Brand, Glendale Galleria and the future Museum of Neon Art. Plans are to expand this pilot project into a city-wide network of greenways as discussed in the City’s adopted Bicycle Transportation Plan.

The major features of this project include:

• Curb extensions with bioswales
  Curb extensions are an effective pedestrian safety tool. They shorten the distance a pedestrians must walk to cross an intersection and make pedestrians waiting to cross the street more visible to oncoming traffic. Additionally curb extensions create a traffic calming effect on busy streets. Bioswales and curb extensions often go hand in hand. Bioswales are landscape elements, created in order to clear away silt and pollution from surface runoff water.