2016 Year-In-Review

Watch our highlights reel to get a taste of some of our accomplishments for 2016, featuring housing, economic development, urban design, building & safety and more. 

Landlords Recognized for Helping Low Income & Homeless Residents

The City of Glendale celebrates April as Fair Housing Month by recognizing property owners for their outstanding participation in the Section 8 and Homeless Shelter Plus Programs. This week, landlords Oscar Gonzales and Keith Lafond received commendations from the Glendale City Council and Housing Authority for their contributions to providing housing opportunities to low income households within Glendale. 

The two landlords were honored for opening up their units to City housing clients that were formerly homeless and low income. Mr. Gonzalez has partnered with the City through the Continuum of Care Homeless Program for the past 8 years. He has helped 10 chronically homeless individuals who have moved into his rental properties and continue to live there. Mr. Lafond has been providing access to affordable housing opportunities for many years as a long time participant in the Section 8 Housing Program.

The City Council thanked the two landlords for being examples of how landlords can be compassionate and understanding of those less fortunate, by meeting their need for housing and helping them get their lives back on track.

Attention Landlords!
Lower your vacancy rate, rent to Section 8! Call (818) 551 -3000 or  list your vacant units here.

Veteran's Village Grand Opening Celebration

Veterans Village is Glendale’s newest affordable housing project for lower income veterans and their families. It's grand opening will take place on Tuesday, April 5, 2015 at 10:30 AM at 331 Salem Street, Glendale. 

This 44-unit developments was built through a $20.4 million partnership between the Glendale Housing Authority and developer Thomas Safran & Associates. The project consists of 44 units, a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms.  It will offer specialized social services for the veteran residents provided by New Directions, a nonprofit provider dedicated to empowering veterans and facilitating their return to families.

CDD Profiles: Irina Kassabian

Irina Kassabian is dedicated to helping improve people’s lives through her work. She is a Housing Advisor and has worked for the City of Glendale for nearly 16 years. Irina spends a great amount of time ensuring that Glendale residents have the information they need about affordable housing.

The Nuts & Bolts

As a Housing Advisor, Irina assists tenants and landlord with questions regarding housing policies, rules, and regulations. She is also responsible for determining if individuals who live in Glendale are eligible for the Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). 

Helping the Community 

Irina uses her skills in the workplace to make sure the community is updated about new Housing programs and opportunities. She does this by conducting public forums and television interviews to speak to the public about Section 8 and other affordable housing alternatives. 

She also devotes her work time to helping the homeless community in Glendale by volunteering to collect information and data on individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Habitat for Humanity to Begin Accepting Applications

Applications for the Lomita Homes, an affordable home ownership project to be built in partnership with the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, will become available on February 18 at the first in a series of four application meetings to be held at the City's Adult Recreation Center. Attendance at one of the four meetings is strongly encouraged.

For more information about who should apply, how to apply and details about the application meetings, click on one of the links to the multilingual informational flyers below:

A Year-in-Review: CDD's Highlights from 2015

2015 was a busy year for the Community Development Department with many long awaited projects coming to fruition and  ambitious plans beginning to take shape and unfold.  Here's a look back at some of the year's major accomplishments and highlights.

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Museum of Neon Art (MONA)	#1. 18-Hour Day Economic vibrancy is among the City's Top Ten Strategic Goals and the Economic Development Division is helping achieve this through its "18-Hour Day" Initiative. Downtown Glendale has everything to live, work, and play from early morning until late at night - and is continuing to attract new and exciting additions. This past year, a number of businesses opened which contribute to the vibrancy  of the downtown, including King Taco, Tender Greens, Pizza Rev, Buffalo Wild Wings and Equinox Gym. Through the proactive attraction efforts of the City, Antaeus Theatre Company, the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) and Eden Burger will enrich the Arts & Entertainment District and providing even greater amenities to residents, businesses and visitors. The campaign was recently visualized in "Glendale: 18-Hour City" a GTV6 production outlining what a full day in downtown Glendale could look like. Another amenity which was recently reintroduced to the 18-hour day is the weekly farmers market, hosted by the Downtown Glendale Association. Economic Development assisted with the relocation of the market and ongoing marketing of the downtown.
#2.  Meet Space 134 The idea of building a park over the 134 freeway first appeared in the Downtown Specific Plan in 2006. The concept started gaining steam in 2012 when the City received a $125k grant for the development of a vision plan. The plan was endorsed by the City Council in 2013 which opened the doors for an additional $200k grant in 2014. This new funding allowed for the development of planning studies and for community outreach.  In 2015 the Space 134 Project was introduced to the community through a series of events that allowed the public to weigh in on the proposed project.	Space 134 Concept Drawing
Solar Installation Demonstration During Building Safety Month	#3.  Building Safety Month May is Building Safety Month and in 2015, different outreach efforts, surrounding the International Code Council's annual event, reached an all time high. The Building & Safety Division hosted a variety of workshops which ranged in topics from accessibility codes to a live solar installation training. Outreach via CDD's social media platforms included safety tips and how-to-videos.
#4.  Creative Affordable Housing Developments Identifying opportunities to build affordable housing in Glendale continues to be a top priority for the City. By the end of 2015, our Housing Division was responsible for the addition of over 40 new affordable housing units within the City. The Division also worked toward securing an additional 129-159 new affordable units which are currently in various stages of development and are expected to be completed within the next year to 5 years. The Veterans Village Project and the ACE 121 (Arts, Culture & Entertainment @ 121 Kenwood) Project exemplify the ingenuity that comes with developing an affordable housing project from concept to reality.	Veterans Village
Downtown Glendale	#5.  CDD Recognized for DSP & Mobility Study After being recognized by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) for the successful implementation of the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) and the Mobility Study, the California Chapter of APA presented the City with the 2015 Award of Excellence recognizing the accomplishments of the two plans. Together the DSP and Mobility Plan create an optimum transit/pedestrian-oriented environment for reducing auto congestion. Their policies channel development away from hillsides and suburban neighborhoods, directing it to areas where growth is best managed.
#6.  Redevelopment Continues to Wind Down In 2015 CDD obtained $46 Million of spending authority from the Oversight Board and State Department of Finance to complete several redevelopment projects. These projects included the Laemmle mixed-use project with a 5-screen theater, commercial and residential space, and underground parking; the Central Library renovation project; the Paseo project, a pedestrian paseo joining the Central Library to Brand Boulevard at the Museum of Neon Art (MONA); and the actual Museum of Neon Art building. Both the Paseo and MONA were officially completed in the fall. The Department also obtained approval of Glendale’s Long Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP) by the Oversight Board and State Department of Finance. The LRPMP dictates the fate of Glendale’s properties that were formerly owned by the Redevelopment Agency. Some of the properties were sold to developers for redevelopment-related projects in Glendale, some were transferred to the City as government-use properties, and others will be sold on the open market.	Rendering:Central Library Renovation

Community Development Director, Philip Lanzafame (Photo by Cory Hansen)

#7.  New Director Takes the Helm

Philip Lanzafame was appointed to the position of Director of Community Development in September 2015 after serving as the Interim Director for three months. In this role, he oversees the department's divisions including:

• Building & Safety
• Economic Development
• Housing
• Neighborhood Services & Administration
• Planning
• Urban Design & Mobility

As a Glendale/Montrose native, Philip serves the community he lives in with pride. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a local government official specializing in the areas of redevelopment, economic development and housing development. Prior to his current appointment, Lanzafame served as the Director of Community Redevelopment & Housing (before its merger with Community Planning to create Community Development), Assistant Director of Development Services, and Economic Development Administrator for the City of Glendale.

Among the many redevelopment projects he has managed are the Walt Disney Company’s 125-acre Grand Central Creative Campus, Caruso Affiliated’s 15.5 acre Americana at Brand, and the expansion of the DreamWorks Animation Campus. During his career in Glendale, he has collaborated on several planning exercises including the Downtown Specific Plan, the San Fernando Road Corridor Zoning Project, the East Broadway Neighborhood Plan and the Glendale Art & Entertainment District Program and arranged funding for many public facilities and projects including the expansion of the Alex Theatre, renovation of the Central Library, construction of the Adult Recreation Center and rehabilitation of Griffith Manor Park.

Lanzafame earned a Master of Public Administration degree, with distinction, from California State University, Northridge. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from San Diego State University and in 2003, he was awarded a Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is a lecturer and presenter to a wide variety of organizations from the Urban Land Institute and the former California Redevelopment Association to the USC School of Law and San Diego State University’s School of Planning. He is the author of The Effect of the Built Environment on Community, a comparison study of the effect sprawl and concentrated development has on one’s sense of community and in 2008 received a local area Emmy Award by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for co-producing Invest in Glendale, a short video feature promoting Glendale as a place to invest and do business.

Philip is also involved with the Glendale community. Board positions with civic organizations include the Friends of the Glendale Public Library, Glendale Educational Foundation (GEF) Advisory member, Glendale Arts, Special Olympics and GEF Summer School, Inc. where he is the organization’s founding president; the 501(c)(3) is a private school dedicated to providing accelerated summer school opportunities (not offered by GUSD) to Glendale students.

Philip has been married to Melinda Lanzafame for 30 years. They have three grown children and live in Montrose. He looks forward to a robust and productive 2016 with the Community Development team!

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The Community Development Department (CDD) works to maintain and improve the high standard of living for which the city of Glendale is known. Our goal is to continuously enhance the character of the City through coordinated programs and streamlined procedures, ensuring that all development is done in a predictable and consistent manner and that the quality and character that Glendale residents expect from their neighborhoods is realized. Stay connected with CDD to receive the latest department news and updates.

Affordable Housing Update: New Habitat for Humanity Project

Plans for a 6-unit affordable home ownership development in Glendale are moving forward following the Housing Authority's approval for the appropriation of $1.4 million in federal HOME funds to support the project. The project will be built on 634 and 700 East Lomita Avenue in partnership with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.  Priority will be given to low income, first time homebuyer households that live and/or work in Glendale.

The estimated cost of the entire project is $2.8 million. The Housing Authority will provide $1.4 million which will include the land purchase of $980,000. The project will consist of 6 attached townhouse style 1,300 square foot condominiums. Each unit will have three bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and an attached two-car garage. Each affordable housing unit will be sold to qualified low-income first time homebuyers for an estimated total value of $425,444, of which approximately $194,000 will be a monthly mortgage  payable to Habitat at 0% interest. The balance will consist of deferred nonpayment loans on the units that will help ensure long time affordability to all future buyers. Additionally, each selected family must complete 500 hours of “sweat equity” by working on the project.

The Glendale Housing Authority is committed to developing new affordable housing opportunities in the City. Habitat has completed seven ownership projects and is in construction on its eighth in Glendale. This project will be their ninth project in Glendale, providing a total of 43 units of affordable home ownership housing.

Sign Up for Affordable Housing Updates.

Affordable Housing Opportunity-Camden Glendale

The Housing Authority of the City of Glendale is announcing a new affordable rental housing opportunity in Glendale.  Applications for the Camden Glendale Affordable Housing Lottery will be available March 1^st through March 21^st. 

Information on the 22 affordable units (a mix of studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units) and how to apply can be found in the flyers and at a special Camden Glendale website – www.CamdenGlendaleAH.com.

Affordable Housing Opportunity-Camden Glendale from Community Development Department-Glendale, CA

Affordable 1-Bedroom Senior Apartment Available

02/26/14 NOTE: This unit has been rented and is no longer available

Glendale Arts Colony Begins Construction

Rendering by Meta Housing Corporation. View along Kenwood Ave. looking north.

Another new affordable housing development, in conjunction with the Glendale YMCA, began construction in December 2014 at 121 N. Kenwood Street. The apartment building with art gallery will be an asset to the growing Entertainment District in downtown Glendale. Lease up of the new apartments is projected for June 2016.

Known as the Glendale Arts Colony, the development will provide 69 affordable live/work housing units for low and very low income households with a preference for those households in the creative workforce industry (working artists) who currently live and/or work in Glendale. It will also have a 1,000 square foot art gallery to be used by residents of the project, as well as the greater Glendale arts community. 

If there are not a sufficient number of Glendale or other artists to fill the units, the development will accept other low income households.

Sign up to receive affordable housing updates.

Affordable 1-Bedroom Senior Apartment for Rent

Affordable Housing Opportunity: Veterans Village

Veterans Village of Glendale, located on 331 Salem Street is an affordable housing project currently under construction. 

Veterans Village is Glendale’s newest affordable housing project expected to be completed in June 2015. The project is reserved for lower income family households, with a preference for veteran families. It is an approximate $20.4 million project that will include specialized social services for the veteran residents provided by New Directions, a nonprofit provider dedicated to empowering veterans and facilitating their successful return to families and society. The Glendale Housing Authority contributed a total of approximately $6.8 million in development and permanent loan financing. The project consists of 44 units, a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms (one unit will be reserved as a manager’s unit). 

Housing applications for Veterans Village will be available from November 4 – November 26. Applications can be picked up at the project site at 331 Salem Street or downloaded from the developers website at www.VeteransVillageGlendale.com.

Information Hotline: (818) 685‑9919 or visit VeteransVillageGlendale.com

Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, November 26, 2014 to be entered into the lottery. Only applications mailed to the following address will be accepted.

Veterans Village of Glendale

P.O. Box 49898

Los Angeles, CA 90049

At Ease: Veterans Get a New Lease on Life

UPDATE: ABC7 News Story & Video on November 6, 2014.

For six men and one building in Glendale, Veteran’s Day this past November 11th was different from years past. For some of these former U.S. military members, the differences were dramatic. All would agree that the changes represent an opportunity to enjoy their golden years in peace and security, something that a number of them have been lacking until now. 

They are all new residents of Cypress Senior Living, the City of Glendale’s newest affordable housing project reserved for lower income senior households with the first six units reserved for Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

While it took some time to find 6 qualified senior veterans to occupy the predesignated units at Cypress Senior Living, it could not come soon enough for some. Twenty-two veterans applied for the units and a lottery was held to prioritize the order in which the veterans were to be considered for them. Some applicants did not meet the income qualifications, some did not care for the sizes of the units and kindly declined, and others, despite the housing being affordable, were not prepared to make a move from their existing homes. Sadly, one senior veteran selected did not live long enough to move into the unit, having passed away not too long after applying for the project. 

WWII veteran Jesus Gonzalez shows off his Navy pennants 
and uniform at the Cypress Senior Living grand opening. 

The final roster of residents represents what many refer to as the “old-school” veterans, six men representing service time during conflicts in Vietnam, Korea, and World War II. Four are veterans of the Army followed by a representative each of the Navy and Air Force. Four of them were drafted, while the other two enlisted. 

Jesus Gonzalez is the most veteran of them all. Now 86 years old and still going strong, Jesus grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He enlisted in the Navy in 1946 and spent 3 ½ years in and around various islands of the South Pacific. Some of those areas were still under Japanese occupation and the Navy provided security detail as some fighting and hostility continued, despite the end of WWII. Jesus then spent his civilian career as a teacher and high school baseball coach. He was living in a market rate apartment in Northridge when he and his wife heard about the opportunity to apply for the units in Glendale. 

A few of the veterans were not as fortunate as Jesus in their post military life. Kevin Sargent, one the last veterans to rent a unit, spent several years homeless. During those lean times, Kevin made money by recycling bottles and cans and giving blood. He was drafted into the Army just out of Daily High School in Glendale in 1971. Prior to deployment in Vietnam, he came down with a debilitating case of spinal meningitis as a result of a vaccine the Army had given him; he was eventually discharged due to his medical condition. He worked many jobs in his adult life including stints as an actor and security guard.

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. 

Affordable Housing Updates - June 2014

Several affordable housing projects are in various stages of development. Here is a brief update on some of these projects.

Cypress Senior Living – A 17-unit affordable housing apartment building for senior citizens, with 6 units reserved for senior veterans.  The Affordable Housing Lottery was held on May 15th and the applicants chosen first in the lottery are being interviewed now for lease up of the apartments. Rehabilitation of the building was completed in mid-May.
Read our March 2014 post about Cypress Senior Living.

Veterans Village – A 43-unit affordable apartment building with a preference for veterans and their families is under construction.  The subterranean structure is well underway, with floors and walls poured.  Capping the structure is expected in the next week.  The project should complete construction in June 2015.
Read our February 2014 post about Veterans Village.

Chestnut Habitat Homes – A 3-unit affordable new construction project for Low Income First Time Home Buyers.  Building permits were issued and site preparation and grading has begun.  Construction completion is projected for June 2015.  The selected home buyers will complete a minimum of 500 hours of “sweat equity” on the new homes as part of their down payment for purchase.
Read our March 2014 post about Chestnut Habitat Homes.

Affordable Senior Housing Opportunities

A rather worn out 18 unit apartment building that was built in 1928 on Cypress Street, just east of Glendale Avenue, is being rehabilitated and will be given a new life as affordable housing for 17 senior citizen households. Six of the units will be reserved for senior citizen Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The building will have 4 one-bedroom and 14 studio units.  The building is undergoing major rehabilitation including new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows, and heating and air conditioning systems to serve new low income residents.  The purchase and improvements are being funded with federal HOME program funds and funds from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, as well as investments from the developers.

Lottery applications can be downloaded and printed at: 
www.communitydevpartners.com/CypressSeniorLottery

Habitat for Humanity Ground Breaking

Habitat Executive Director Sonja L. Yates with one of the new Habitat families (photo by SGV Habitat).

Three deserving low-income families will soon be able to call themselves homeowners thanks to the latest partnership between the City of Glendale and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity. These families participated in a ground breaking ceremony at the site of their future homes this past weekend. 

Three new 3-bedroom 2½ bath homes homes will be built on the 800th block of Chestnut Street in Glendale. The selected families will contribute a minimum of 500 hours of "sweat equity" to build their homes and will become long term partners with SGV Habitat as they continue to build more homes throughout the San Gabriel Valley. Chestnut Homes is the 8^th Habitat development in Glendale; a testament to the City's commitment to building and providing affordable housing.  

SGV Habitat is still seeking donations for the Chestnut Homes build. To get involved, please visit www.sgvhabitat.org or call (626) 387-6899 extension 17.

Visit the ground breaking photo album.

Rendering

Affordable Apartment for Rent in Senior Building

Affordable Housing 101

The Housing Division recently hosted three public meetings to inform the community about the status of affordable housing in Glendale. Citizens often contact us with questions about Section 8 or to inquire about the availability of affordable housing units in the City. These meetings were intended to answer some of the frequently asked questions and to shed some light on how affordable housing is accomplished in Glendale.

Over 500 people attended the meetings. Presentation were made in English, Spanish and Armenian and materials were provided to all attendees in their preferred language.

If you were not able to attend one of these meetings, please feel free to browse through the presentation slides and the printed materials that were distributed. If you have any questions, please contact the Housing Division at (818) 548-3936.

Ground Breaking - Veteran Village Affordable Housing

Read our September 2013 Affordable Housing Update for more information about Veteran's Village. 

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