Study cites apartments, condominiums as possible affordable housing solution
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

Higher density housing and community support are key considerations in providing adequate affordable housing for senior citizens and others, according to a panel of speakers at a recent city of T.O. housing workshop.

Sponsored by the city’s Council on Aging, a group of senior citizens who advise the city council on senior-related issues, the meeting included affordable housing providers and city staff members.

Density seems to be a key. “The day is arriving when housing may have to grow up in height rather than space,” said Council on Aging chairman Harry Norkin.

In Thousand Oaks, where the vast majority of homes are singlefamily detached dwellings, there’s inadequate space to accommodate the continued construction of such housing, Norkin said. He recalled his youth “during the Great Depression era” when people lived in large apartment buildings close to shopping or downtown areas. Back then, residents could get to many destinations by walking or using convenient and inexpensive public transportation.

Times have changed, and the people of Thousand Oaks must be willing to accept alternative ing, even in neighborhoods where it hasn’t existed before, according to Marilyn Miller, deputy community development director of Thousand Oaks.

“We have to look at the possibility of accepting higher density in certain areas because that’s where you can successfully build affordable housing,” Miller said, citing a 140-unit development being built by Operating Engineers in an industrial area of Newbury Park as an example.

To accommodate change, elected officials must also have the community’s support, said Rodney Fernandez, executive director of Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, a local affordable housing provider.

“The community needs to get more informed, more engaged, and needs to provide the direction to change the mix,” Fernandez said. “We have a crisis in our community.”

Developers of new projects should dedicate as much as 30 to 50 percent of new units to affordable housing, Fernandez said. Higher density would provide more units and still allow the developer to make a profit.

“We have to throw away the old model and start thinking differently,” Fernandez said.

Providing affordable housing to seniors involves considerations that are unique to older residents. They may need various types of services as they age, including access to transportation and healthcare, according to Bob Warnagieris, an American Association of Retired People (AARP) representative who spoke at the meeting.

“People overwhelmingly want to stay in their homes and their communities as they age,” Warnagieris said.

There’s been increasing interest in building congregate senior living facilities in the city, said Russ Watson, housing and redevelopment manager, especially in light of the anticipated increase in the senior population.

Older residents also want to live near their children and grandchildren, but it might not be possible if families are priced out of the market and affordable options are minimal, according to Doug Tapking, executive director of the Area Housing Authority, another local provider of affordable housing. Tapking said his organization is currently exploring three sites for potential senior housing.

“Nobody is going to just walk into our community if they’ve just graduated college or just retired—unless they’re making a lot of money,” Tapking said.

The lack of affordable housing affects the city in many ways, said Miller.

Some people who work here can’t afford to live in Conejo Valley and must commute. They spend more time on the road, and have less time with their children and less time for volunteering in community organizations.

The city of Thousand Oaks has already felt the problem as it faces challenges in recruiting entrylevel personnel.

“Sometimes it feels overwhelming because there are influences beyond the scope of what my role as a planner is,” Miller said.

The city doesn’t buy or sell housing, she added, but creates a plan to help the community meet future needs.

Partnerships between the city and local affordable housing providers (such as Many Mansions and the Area Housing Authority) have provided many affordable units, but the demand far exceeds the supply.

In the past 30 years, Thousand Oaks has invested $30 million in such projects, helping to provide 1,644 affordable housing units, according to Watson. The city recently refinanced its housing bonds, generating $10.8 million for affordable housing.

“We will have discussions in the near future about what projects we want to allocate that money to,” Watson said.

A big part of the problem is that historically, California hasn’t built enough new homes to meet its needs, according to Watson. The lack of inventory has driven up housing prices, making it difficult for first-time homebuyers. Compounding the problem is that incomes haven’t increased adequately, creating an even larger gap between the cost of housing and what people can afford.

“There has been no change in the median income for the past couple of years,” Watson said.

That figure has been $77,400 for a family of four in Ventura County, according to Watson.

Many Mansions has a waiting list of 493 individuals and families who need affordable housing, according to executive director Rick Schroeder, including 9 percent who are over 60, and 18 percent who are older than 50.