Low-Income Housing to Be Dedicated
Twenty-seven low-income families who recently moved to new apartments will celebrate Sunday as owners of the East Fullerton Villas dedicate the project, built to provide affordable housing in the city.
The project, comprising six one- and two-story buildings with two-, three- and four-bedroom units, is owned and operated by Fullerton Interfaith Housing Development Corp., a nonprofit organization made up of local churches and synagogues. It is dedicated to providing low-cost homes for families that are struggling to support themselves and their children.
“This is our first project,” Interfaith President Jon S. West said of the $3.2-million complex, built by local developer Douglas Chaffee. “It is not designed for people on welfare. It is designed for people working for relatively low pay who are having trouble making the rent while raising a family.”
Residents began settling in when the first buildings were completed in February. All the buildings are finished now and are full, and a waiting list with 200 names is growing.
Demand for affordable housing in Fullerton is high, West said. City officials also recognize the need and have approved a few similar projects in the past few years. Part of the funding for the projects, including the villas, has come from the city’s Redevelopment Agency.
Esther Lacuesta, a Sunny Hills High School nutritionist who lives with her husband and five children in the Villas, said her new apartment has one more bedroom than her old place and costs $100 less per month. “This is really nice,” she said.
Frank and Sabrina Spann, the complex’s managers, also live on the property with their two children. They said many of the tenants have low-paying jobs that make it difficult for them to make ends meet.
“This is a place for families who are just barely getting by,” Frank Spann said. “There aren’t enough places like this.”
At the dedication ceremony Sunday, one building will be named in honor of Ralph Kennedy, a supporter of affordable housing and publisher of the Fullerton Observer. Another building will be named for Robert Kelley, a retired minister who was behind the creation of the Interfaith development organization.
The project is at 2140 E. Chapman Ave., next to Casa Maria del Rio, the recently built affordable-housing complex for people with disabilities. The dedication ceremony, at 5:30 p.m., will be open to the public.
