Lottery selects 700 hopefuls

GLENDALE — The search for applicants to fill Glendale’s new Metropolitan City Lights low-income apartments is complete after a lottery drawing this week selected 700 applicants who will either occupy the apartment building or go onto its waiting list.

With more than 3,600 applications received, the city spent part of Monday drawing numbers in a lottery to select the 700, 64 of whom will fill the rooms at the Gardena Avenue complex.

“We hope it will be a landmark building, being one of the first housing projects of this size in the San Fernando Road Corridor,” said Peter Zovak, city housing development and preservation administrator.

The 65-unit complex — with one unit set aside for the complex manager — is slated to be completed in the coming months, with people moving in as early as February, Zovak said.

The City Council approved the $24-million project in February 2005, with the city subsidizing $5.8 million to make the project affordable housing.

The complex sits on a 1-acre site near the Glendale Train Station, with two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 850 to 1,100 square feet in size.

“It is as nice of a complex as I have ever seen anybody build,” said City Councilman Bob Yousefian.

“If nobody knew this was affordable housing, they would think it was regular condos that people were selling.”

Through the lottery, the first 64 applicants will go through a review to see if they qualify for the complex, and if so, they will be placed in order of arrival, Zovak said.

Those who are higher on the list may get a space if some of those among the 64 do not qualify for the housing, or will be placed on a waiting list in order of their numbers.

Cost for housing in the complex will vary depending on the income of the family, but will be significantly lower than the normal cost for an apartment of comparable size, Yousefian said.

“Were trying to give a helping hand to the families that are low-income,” he said.

The complex’s location could also benefit its incoming residents, as it is located in the hub area of several businesses and utilities, Glendale Mayor Dave Weaver said.

“I think it’s a great project. From day one I thought it was a great use of a transit zone and great redevelopment in that zone.

The only downside to the project is that the city could only aid so many families, Weaver said.

“In this town the demand is so great, you draw 700 names and you can only serve 65,” he said.