Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Open Board of Directors Meeting
San Bernardino Community College District
114 S. Del Rosa Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Don Averill, Deborah Barmack, Carole Beswick, Erin Brinker, Ann Bryan, Bill Easley, Ron Griffin, Scott Hofferber, Matthew Issac, Mark Kaenel, Lowell King, Bill Lemann, Sue McKee, John Mirau, Tomas Morales, Tom Nightingale, Steve PonTell, Bev Powell, John Prentice, Brian Reider, Kristine Scott, Larry Sharp, Paul Shimoff, Phil Waller, Janet Weder Kim Wilcox, A.J. Wilson and Ray Wolfe.
Guests: Brian Armstrong
Announcements: 1)Judge Slough suggested that Inland Action schedule a meeting with an Appellate Court Judge to discuss the Judgeship crisis in our county. 2) A luncheon meeting for newer members will be scheduled the first week in July.
M/S/P: Minutes from May 27, 2014
Phil Waller introduced Steve PonTell, President/CEO, National Community Renaissance.
Steve PonTell is a native son and is committed to the Inland region. He discussed the importance of the new Waterman Gardens project in San Bernardino.
Here in Sothern California housing is in short supply. We are in need of 600,000 units to house the number of residents here. This creates distortion in the market place. Santa Ana is a prime example of overcrowding that has many service and farm workers living in garages and multiple families sharing living space. City planning does not accommodate this kind of stress on our communities because it compromises the stability of the entire infrastructure-healthcare, schools, public safety, etc. Additionally, it creates artificially inflated housing prices. Affordable housing is critical and should concern us all. Society must think as a whole system and the market needs to reflect what the market can realistically afford.
National Community Renaissance (National CORE) is a non-profit affordable housing developer that builds and manages properties nationwide. They support families and seniors by providing housing communities that are affordable, safe and of the highest quality. National CORE enhances neighborhood stability through long term management and maintenance, as well as senior wellness, preschool and after school programs, and family financial training.
Waterman Gardens, a public housing project that originated in 1943 has 252 units. In the past it was blighted with crime but has since turned around and is now is one of the safest neighborhoods in San Bernardino. Today it is in disrepair and in need of major repairs and updating. National CORE plans to replace its deteriorating streets, sewers, water mains and electrical lines in order to build a modern mixed-use complex. It will increase the number of living units on the property to 411 and develop a community park linking the site to a nearby elementary school (if approved by the school district). The project will include housing for low and moderate-income residents and senior citizens. Opportunities to purchase Townhomes on site will be available to owners who will live in them.
The federal pilot program from HUD called Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) allows the Housing Authority of San Bernardino to use equity in the property as collateral for loans. The Waterman Gardens project will also seek HUD Choice Neighborhood grants that are focused on the following core goals:
- Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high quality mixed income housing that is well managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood;
- People: Improve educational outcomes and intergenerational mobility for youth with services and supports delivered directly to youth and their families;
- Neighbor hood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment n distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity that are important to families’ choices about their community.
Completion time for the entire project is 8-10 years and the expected cost will be $150-200 million.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:28a.m.