Seniors facing housing needs

By : Lindsay Sandham

Aug. 20, 2005 12 AM PT

With the Bayview Landing senior-housing project on Back Bay Drive and

Jamboree Road in Newport Beach nearing completion, the deadline for

submitting applications is approaching.

Gino Canori, project manager for the Related Companies of

California -- the company overseeing the project -- said there are

almost 2,500 people on the interest list. He said the construction is

on track and that the 120 apartments could be available for move-in

by December.

Applications will be mailed Tuesday to all people who have

indicated an interest in the property by Sunday. The deadline to

submit applications will be the first week in September, and all the

applications will be placed into a lottery and drawn at random.

The sizable interest in Bayview Landing is no surprise to senior

citizens. With the senior population in the Newport-Mesa area

growing, affordable housing is scarce and most properties have a wait

list, some as long as seven years.

“Seniors need housing -- they need something that’s affordable

within their Social Security,” said Charu Mody, a social worker at

the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Mody said what is considered low-cost housing in Orange County

still does not meet the budget requirements of the average senior

living on Social Security.

“Costa Mesa and Newport Beach are very desirable areas, and

they’re very expensive,” Mody said, adding that seniors who have

lived in the area most of their lives want to stay here. “People

don’t want to leave. It’s hard to readjust in another city.”

When seniors approach Mody and ask what affordable housing options

are available, she said there isn’t much she can do for them.

Typically, she will give them the affordable rental housing list for

Orange County and refer them to the Orange County Housing Authority,

where they can apply to be on a waiting list.

“From what I hear, right now they’re not even accepting

applications,” Mody said.

Mody said there was a government-run shared housing program that

was discontinued a couple of years ago due to state budget cuts.

There is also a bulletin board at the Costa Mesa Senior Center where

people can post rooms for rent or notices for people looking to rent.

Mody said it can be very frustrating for seniors who wind up

reaching voice mail messages at most affordable housing developments,

and find that there are no vacancies and that there is a waiting

list.

Claire Flynn, a senior planner for Costa Mesa’s planning

department said there are no current affordable senior housing

proposals from developers, but a recent change in state law that

offers greater incentives to developers who seek affordable housing

may encourage more proposals in the future.

“We do expect new projects taking advantage of those changes,”

Flynn said.

AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING

Costa Mesa

* Bethel Towers, 666 W. 19th St., (949) 642-9941 -- two- to

six-year wait.

* Casa Bella, 1844 Park Ave., (949) 646-0960 -- five-year wait.

* St. John’s Manor, 2031 Orange Ave., (949) 645-3728 -- four- to

five-year wait.

Newport Beach

* Bayview Landing (still under construction) at the corner of Back

Bay Drive and Jamboree Road -- send request for application to

Bayview Landing Senior Apartments, c/o Related Management Company,

2967 Michelson Drive, Suite G-525, Irvine, 92612.