Thousand Oaks to Check Conditions of Apartments

Spurred by complaints of unseemly living conditions at one apartment complex, city leaders have authorized a review of all apartments in town to determine which properties are in need of rehabilitation.

Mayor Andy Fox asked the City Council last week to approve the inventory in response to ongoing criticism by residents of the Island Village Apartments that the property’s owner has not repaired dangerous cracked walkways, flimsy carports and other substandard conditions.

City officials have already served the owner of the apartments, located off Thousand Oaks Boulevard, with a list of health and safety problems that need to be fixed.

But the limited partnership that owns the apartments has said it lacks the money to conduct the repairs, and has asked for a $200,000 rehabilitation loan from the city, according to a city report.

Fox said he has spoken with residents of the apartments, many of whom are recent immigrants and retirees, including a former firefighter who is losing his eyesight and has repeatedly fallen down on the damaged walkways.

Although city officials have been working to solve the problems at Island Village for some time, Fox believes that the city needs to step up its efforts.

“These people cannot afford to take legal action,” Fox said during last week’s council meeting. “They’re living on a fixed income, and they’re relying on the city for help.”

Residents of Island Village say Thousand Oaks needs to do whatever it can to make improvements possible because, otherwise, they do not believe that the owner will ever repair anything.

“It’s about time,” said one resident, who asked that his name not be used for fear of reprisal by the apartments’ management firm. “This has been going on for 10 years, and they didn’t do anything until we started squawking. This place needs painting, cleaning up. It looks like trash-town. It’s a slum.”

The apartment complex is run by Wadeco Management, a firm owned by Charles Wade, who is also one of the owners of the apartments. Wade could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Council members said they may not be opposed to loaning money to the owner of the Island Village Apartments if that is the only way to resolve the problem.

But beforehand, they want to look at all apartment buildings to learn where dilapidated conditions exist and where city financial help may be needed.

“In my view, the owner has been mildly cooperative, but no major improvements have taken place,” Fox said. “While I want to do something for Island Village . . . it needs to be a quality project, and it makes no sense to go ahead with one improvement when there may be others that are necessary.”

If Thousand Oaks decides to help fund apartment rehabilitation, the money will likely come from the city’s Redevelopment Agency. By law, one-fifth of the agency’s money must be spent on housing.

“This is a good step to take in order to learn about our housing stock,” Councilwoman Judy Lazar said at the recent meeting.

Olav Hassel of Thousand Oaks’ Housing Services Office, which is overseeing the review, said it will in no way be a definitive needs assessment of all the problems of every apartment building in town.

There are more than 30 apartment complexes in Thousand Oaks, making up a total of more than 5,000 units, he said.

What it will accomplish is a general overview of the city’s apartments, their larger problems and potential for trouble. He expects to finish the study, which he is working on with city building and code enforcement officials, around March.

Some complexes, such as the Warwick Apartments near the Janss Marketplace, have been plagued by crowding and other problems in the past, so they are well-known to city officials.

But as the need for affordable housing in Thousand Oaks continues to grow, city officials anticipate more of a need to keep on top of potential violations.

“You have a propensity for overcrowding,” Hassel said.

“You see some of that at Island Village, and you certainly see that at the Warwick Apartments. With the need for affordable housing continuing to grow, we expect more of these problems.”