COSTA MESA : Officials Praise SRO Hotel Plans

County Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder and other local representatives Wednesday celebrated the development of Costa Mesa Village, the county’s first single room occupancy hotel for the working poor.

“With the establishment of Costa Mesa Village, we have taken the first of giant steps in providing affordable housing for low-income residents,” Wieder said before presenting developers Merrill Butler and Brent Ogden Jr. with a commendation from the Board of Supervisors.

A former Travelodge hotel on Newport Boulevard is being converted into the 96-unit SRO, which is expected to open later this year. Anyone who earns less than $18,450 a year is eligible to rent one of the units, which comes with a bathroom, kitchen facilities and color TV. The mini-apartments are 380 square feet and will be rented for $456 a month.

Costa Mesa Village is a public-private venture with funding from a variety of sources. Last year, the city agreed to help finance the SRO by lending the developers $500,000. County supervisors also loaned $1.7 million toward the project.

Over the past few years, the SRO has been delayed by financing and other problems. On Wednesday, officials congratulated the developers for persistence while praising the project.

“The beauty of it is this is not a sleaze hotel,” said Costa Mesa Mayor Sandra L. Genis. “It is a place where people who take care of your children or pump your gas at the gas station will live.”

As the remarks were made, a crew of electricians was installing the wiring for the appliances in the converted rooms. About half of the rooms have been rewired to accommodate tenants.

The vanity areas that normally hold a sink and small dressing room have been made into kitchenettes, complete with a small microwave, refrigerator and stove with one burner. A pantry and a few cupboards have also been installed. Eventually, the lobby will be converted into meeting rooms, which can be used by nonprofit groups, and a recreation area will be added.

About 200 people have already signed up to move in, Butler said. “It’s been a long process. I am happy Orange County’s first SRO can finally take place.”