Improving housing conditions

Deirdre Newman

Two community organizations have joined forces to focus attention on

providing more affordable housing and eliminating substandard

apartment conditions.

St. Joachim Catholic Church and the Orange County Congregation

Community Organizations started working together in September. One of

the main priorities is to create standards that landlords would have

to adhere to when renting out their apartments.

There is a need to hold landlords more accountable to ensure a

higher quality of life for apartment tenants, said Alma Marquez,

senior organizer with the county group.

“There’s nothing that regulates landlords to provide a decent home

to tenants,” Marquez said. “And because our laws are so outdated in

regards to some of the laws that are available, it doesn’t make

sense.”

City Councilwoman Libby Cowan said the state has some standards

for landlords, but they don’t go very far. Cowan said she supports

the groups’ efforts.

“I think it’s important for tenants to let property owners know

what’s important to them in terms of standards,” Cowan said. “I think

it’s important that we honor each person as a human being and offer

them the dignity and respect that a human being deserves.”

To help city leaders create standards for landlords, the two

organizations are looking at other cities throughout the country to

see which have effective models. Students from UC Irvine’s School of

Planning and Public Policy are aiding their investigation.

The groups will also host a bus tour in November to show

first-hand the need for better apartment conditions and quality

affordable housing. They have invited elected officials and community

leaders from Costa Mesa and the two other cities the groups are

working in -- Santa Ana and Anaheim. The tour will visit an apartment

that is run-down, a financially comparable apartment in better

condition and an affordable housing apartment building.

The difference in conditions between two apartments priced the

same is what the organizations are trying to avoid.

“The reality is that the housing cost is not going to stop going

up, which we understand -- it’s a free housing market,” Marquez said.

“We just want to create a balanced community -- ‘Ok, you’re charging

this much, but at least provide a decent home for folks to live in.’

It benefits cities because then homeowners could stop complaining

that the tenants don’t care. They don’t care because the landlords

have their apartments in terrible conditions.”

By showing officials a quality affordable housing complex, the

tour organizers hope to dispel common misconceptions about affordable

housing, Marquez said. While some residents fear their property

values will go down if an affordable housing facility moves into

their neighborhood, if the buildings are well-maintained, homeowners

in the area are generally supportive, Marquez explained.

“We want to create ‘YIMBY’ -- Yes In My Back Yard,” Marquez said.

Any effort to direct the city’s attention to the need for more

housing is appreciated, Cowan said.

“I think housing, period, is a very important issue,” Cowan said.

“We just don’t have enough housing and people who are particularly

hurt by it are those who work at low-wage jobs, many of which we have

in retail and so forth.”

The organizations hope to have the standards for landlords ready

for City Council review by April, Marquez said.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.