Residents explain housing concerns

Christine Carrillo

A group of about 50 Costa Mesa residents and families brought

their concerns of inadequate housing conditions to City Council

members Sunday at a meeting held at St. Joachim’s School Hall.

The meeting was organized by the Orange County Congregation

Community Organization, which presented 18 months of research

including meetings with various housing organizations, code

enforcement, City Council members, landlords, apartment managers and

more than 400 families in the hopes of finding “systemic solutions to

the problem of deplorable, substandard housing conditions” in Costa

Mesa.

“We need maintenance at our residences,” said Juanita Perez, who

lives in an apartment building on Placentia Avenue. “We think this is

a simple and just thing for us to want.”

After listening to the findings presented by the organization, and

the brief testimonies provided by residents regarding their

substandard living conditions, Council members Karen Robinson and

Gary Monahan agreed to delve into the matter further. They agreed to

meet with organization members within 30 days to further discuss the

conditions described by the more than 400 Costa Mesa families

interviewed.

After hearing stories of landlord and manager irresponsibility,

frequent and steep rent increases and unattainably priced homes, the

organization looked to city officials to help them implement a

variety of solutions.

“I completely support the efforts that are being made,” said

Robinson, who toured four different apartment buildings in June to

witness the conditions first-hand. “After seeing these apartments I

agreed to work with [the organization] to improve these conditions.”

The organization has proposed a list of steps that the city might

take to correct the situation. They have asked that the city

establish a housing ombudsman to help mediate negotiations, hold

tenant rights educational workshops, pass a Quality of Standards of

Living resolution and a law requiring a 60-day eviction notice

instead of the current 30-day notice, require annual code enforcement

visits and lastly, that they support the passage of State Proposition

46, which would provide $2.1 billion for affordable housing, in

November.

While Robinson and Monahan agreed that they both would support the

implementation of an ombudsman, they declined to take an official

position on supporting Proposition 46 without having researched the

proposition themselves and instead encouraged residents who support

it to use their power by making sure to vote for it themselves in

November.

Monahan, however, added that he felt the proposition sounded like

something the city could benefit from, depending on where the money

came from.

“If this is new money then I would be supportive of it,” he said.

“There’s a need for that money ... in Costa Mesa.”

While the community organization plans to continue its research

regarding the concerns of Costa Mesa residents, including more

affordable housing for individuals making $10 per hour and less,

Monahan agreed to do what he could to help the process along.

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO is the news assistant. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4298 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.