Group Recognizes Affordable Housing Efforts

There are two truisms when it comes to building affordable housing in Orange County:

The first is that community opposition is likely to be intense; the second is that behind every unit of affordable housing--a room in a residential hotel, an apartment in a duplex or a house hammered together by Habitat for Humanity--is the effort of tightly knit advocates determined to see that all county residents have an affordable place to live.

Friday morning, the Orange County Community Housing Corp., a nonprofit group that builds and manages affordable housing, honored individuals, businesses and advocates at its annual recognition breakfast for their efforts to make Orange County--one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation--a more affordable place to live.

One winner was housing advocate Marie Dawkins, who received the In My Backyard award for defending an affordable housing proposal in Irvine.

A developer who had helped her find affordable housing asked her to speak before Irvine residents opposed to a low- and moderate-income project he had proposed. Residents backed down and the 84-unit Santa Alicia Apartments was approved in October by the Irvine City Council.

Others honored by the housing corporation included Downey Savings & Loan President Stephen Prough and Vice President Kelvin James.

“They are one of the few lenders in the business that actually has affordable housing in their mission statement,” said Joe Boyle, treasurer of the housing corporation, in announcing the award. Working closely with Habitat for Humanity, the S&L; has helped finance a number of affordable housing projects.

Habitat for Humanity board members received an award recognizing past President Joe Perring’s skill in steering the organization from its local beginnings in 1988 through the development of 60 homes completed, with another 24 in the works. Habitat volunteers Betty Elsing and Dick Payne also received awards.

Elsing did not attend, but in presenting Payne with his plaque, Perring held up the battered and bedraggled work hat Payne has worn on numerous building sites--a symbol of his dedication.

Providing beautifully designed housing won HomeAid, Orange County a plaque. The group of contractors, builders and suppliers has created hundreds of shelter beds, but Friday it was the group’s work with Human Options Safe House for battered women and their children that was singled out for praise.

The city of Buena Park was cited as the municipality that has done the most for affordable housing in the past year, and the National Bank of Southern California was lauded for financing several subsidized multifamily projects in Orange and Santa Ana.

H.I.S. House in Placentia, a shelter for single men, women and families, received the Shelter Operator award and Joel Rosen, the chief planner for Fullerton, was honored as the staffer who has been most active in municipal housing.

Rose Espinoza of La Habra, who runs a tutoring center from her garage, also received an award.