MOORPARK : City Decides Against Rental Housing Deal

Despite acknowledging a dire need for low-income rental housing, the Moorpark City Council passed up an opportunity to work with a local nonprofit company to use city funds and federal subsidies to build rental housing for the poor.

Instead, the city will hire a private contractor and spend about $1.6 million to build 50 residences near Gisler Fields that would be sold to low- and moderate-income families.

Officials from Cabrillo Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit organization that builds low-income housing throughout the county, urged the city to use the $1.6 million in redevelopment money to build rental units.

By using the redevelopment money for rental units, the city could qualify for state and federal subsidies that would offset the money it puts into the project, said Rodney Fernandez, Cabrillo’s executive director.

“There is a greater need in the community for very-low-income rental housing,” Fernandez said. “We recommend that the (city) not sink its limited redevelopment subsidies into for-sale homes.”

Of the nearly 800 residential units built in the past six years, only about 25 were affordable to low-income families, Fernandez said.

But the City Council was not swayed by his argument, voting 4 to 1 to develop for-sale housing--15 of which would be for very-low-income families, 15 for low-income families and 20 for moderate-income families.

Councilman Bernardo Perez was the only council member to vote against the project. He said threatened evictions of up to 14 families from low-income rental properties across from City Hall illustrated the need for more rental properties in the city.

“It’s right in front of our face,” he said. “I’m at my wit’s end about what to do.”

The deadline for submitting a bid on the project is May 16.