City Fears Low-Cost Homes Still Too Costly

Reneging on years of city promises, the Oxnard City Council on Tuesday acknowledged that most residents of a blighted trailer park will never be able to afford the city-subsidized housing intended for them.

But the city pledged to look for ways to improve their current conditions--by buying them new mobile homes, for instance--or finding another place to relocate them.

After numerous delays and canceled meetings, real estate speculator Donald T. Kojima, who has no previous experience as a developer, unveiled his latest proposal Tuesday to build low-cost homes before the Oxnard City Council.

The project was originally conceived as a way to relocate the 1,100 residents of the Oxnard Mobilehome Lodge--one of the county’s worst slums--by building them a new place to live.

But the homes now being proposed would be too expensive for almost all of those residents to ever afford, and the Oxnard City Council pledged after a six-hour discussion to change its strategy for the mobile home residents. The city will no longer consider the project a replacement site for the Oxnard Mobilehome Lodge’s residents, mostly farm workers. But recognizing a shortage of affordable housing in the city, the city will continue to pursue Kojima’s project as a way to provide between 100 and 150 low-cost homes.

Trailer park resident Luis Teran said he was disappointed by the council’s decision, which he felt was a betrayal that came after much talk and several promises.

“You promise much,” Teran said to the council, “But I don’t see you delivering much for us.”

Councilman Tom Holden said he was also upset because the trailer park residents had been led to believe that they could afford homes, when in reality they cannot. He said he personally never promised them homes they would own.

“If I was told that regardless of my income I would be able to own a house, and now the reality sets in, I would be frustrated also,” Holden said.

Attorneys for California Rural Legal Assistance, which represents the mobile home residents, said they were not happy with the decision, but were pleased the council agreed to search for a solution.

“We could have gotten shut out completely, the way three of the four councilmen were talking,” said David Kirkpatrick, special counsel for CRLA.

Newly elected councilman Dean Maulhardt, who owns the land adjacent to the site, did not participate in the discussion because of a possible conflict of interest.

The proposal was part of a $5.32-million land transaction between Kojima and Oxnard that, after lengthy negotiations, ended with Kojima being given first shot at developing the land.

The negotiations--which took years to complete--were clouded by claims of back-room city council filibusters and sweetheart real estate deals from Kojima and council members, respectively.

Affordable housing advocates, who wanted to present proposals to build the homes themselves, cried foul, charging that Kojima was given an unfair advantage by the city.

Oxnard officials, who helped Kojima put together his housing plan, incorporated some of the advocates’ suggestions into Tuesday’s proposal, along with the efforts of nonprofit agencies.

The goal of the project--to build 115 homes that low-income families could afford--is still possible, according to a city report.

But for it to be achieved, Oxnard would have to donate the entire 20-acre site, Kojima would have to contribute $1 million, the city would have to waive $1 million in development fees, and the families would have to put up a 10% down payment on their future homes, among other things.

Several possible housing types were proposed, including factory-built modular units, conventional homes with adjusted design standards to reduce costs, and manufactured units.

“I think there’s still an opening for something to happen,” said Kirkpatrick. “But I don’t know if that is the reality. I don’t know what that opening would be.”