San Fernando Makes Renovation of Existing Housing Its Top Priority

The San Fernando City Council took its first step in creating a housing-improvement program by voting to study ways to renovate existing housing owned by low- and moderate-income residents.

Although no specific measures to achieve the housing goals were approved, Councilman Roy M. Richardson said Monday night’s action establishing priorities in city Planning Department recommendations “gets us started and gives us some direction” in setting city housing policy.

Last fall, the City Council directed the Planning Department to study areas that could benefit from government loan programs for housing improvement and city redevelopment money earmarked for housing.

Housing in the southern part of the city was identified as having the greatest need for rehabilitation in a city planning report. In one four-block area, about 30% of the housing was in need of major improvements to the foundation, walls and roofs, the report stated.

There are about 4,000 single-family houses in the city, and 1,500 apartments, duplexes and triplexes, said Norman C. Canchola, city planning director.

In choosing to concentrate first on rehabilitating existing low- and moderate-income housing, the council put on the back-burner Planning Department suggestions that included constructing small-scale senior-citizen housing, such as residential hotels, and developing programs to repair deteriorating rental units.

The council directed the Planning Department to develop a program that would also help homeowners whose income is too high to meet federal-loan requirements, but too low to qualify for conventional home-improvement loans.

The city now participates in a federally financed home-loan program. But, said Councilman James B. Hansen: “Our housing rehabilitation program hasn’t been an overwhelming success because most people just can’t qualify.”

Money for this program would primarily come from $250,000 in city redevelopment funds set aside for housing, Canchola said.

The council agreed that targeting one block for revitalization might bring quick results that would induce other homeowners to participate in loan programs.

“The idea is to go in and have visual impact,” City Administrator Donald E. Penman told the five-member council.

The city also intends to hire a full-time housing coordinator to administer the programs. Canchola said it will take several months to set up the programs, which will still be subject to council approval.