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CVV News l September 19, 2023

On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, the City of Modesto celebrated the opening of 14 permanent supportive housing units for homeless and at-risk youth in Downtown Modesto.

On January 31, 2022, the City of Modesto, in partnership with Center for Human Services, applied to the State of California for a Project Homekey grant. On March 30, 2022, the City was notified of a project award of $3,973,353. The award was used to help acquire and convert a commercial building, located at 1208 9th Street, into permanent supportive housing for youth aged 18 – 25 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“There is no higher calling than taking care of our community’s most vulnerable and homeless children and youth are some of our most vulnerable,” said Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen. “This is another important milestone in our efforts to end homelessness here in Modesto.”
The project consists of 10 studio apartments and four one-bedroom units. Each unit is fully furnished and includes a kitchenette, washer and dryer, and wireless internet access. For a household of one to qualify for a unit, the maximum household income is $17,750 per year.
Rent will be affordable and will not exceed 30% of each respective household income, totaling approximately $444 per month.

“The City of Modesto is so excited to have partnered with Center for Human Services in this project and successfully received State Project Homekey funding to assist. The new permanent housing units for youth are essential in our partnership and goal of ending youth homelessness in our community,” said Modesto Community and Economic Development Director Jessica Hill.

This project received Project Homekey youth set-aside funding in the amount of $3,793,353, $176,798 of the funding was for supportive services. The City also provided $500,000 in Permanent Local Housing Allocation funding for the acquisition and commercial conversion of the building.

In addition to the City of Modesto, Center for Human Services has partnered with Stanislaus County Affordable Development Corporation, Stanislaus Regional Housing Authority, and the Stanislaus County System of Care for ongoing services and operational support. Tenants will receive supportive services and case management services to include behavioral health, physical health, education, and employment services.

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EAH Housing Archway Commons II Now Accepting Applications

CVV News l October 31, 2022

EAH Housing is now accepting applications for Archway Commons II an affordable housing development in Modesto. Applications for the 74 affordable housing rental units will be accepted through November 15, 2022. Construction of the development is expected to conclude in November of 2022 with a ribbon cutting in the spring of 2023. 

EAH Housing, an affordable housing nonprofit organization, began construction on Archway Commons II in the summer of 2021 and is the second phase of the affordable housing development Archway Commons in Modesto. Phase one of Archway Commons, built in 2014, featured 76 affordable housing units.

Archway Commons II features a two-story garden-style apartment building providing 74 new 1, 2, and 3-bedroom rental apartments for people whose income is at or below 30% – 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Seven apartments are designated for individuals and families who have completed the assistance and training program through Modesto’s Downtown Streets Team

Funding for Archway Commons II is provided by MUFG Union Bank, California Department of Housing and Community Development Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (HCD AHSC), Hudson Housing Capital, and 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. 

Check out this Archway Commons II video update, photos and video courtesy of Huff Construction Company, Inc. 

About EAH Housing

Established in 1968, EAH Housing is one of the largest and most respected nonprofit housing development and management organizations in the western United States. EAH develops low-income multifamily housing, manages more than 222 properties in 78 municipalities in California and Hawaii, and plays a leadership role in local, regional, and national housing advocacy efforts. 

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Black Property Owners: Law Requiring Landlords to Pay Tenants Is “Ill Conceived

Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media | July 11, 2022

A recent federal appeals court decision opens the door for the state and several California cities to pass laws requiring landlords to pay one month’s rent to a tenant after they’ve been evicted.

The law, AB 1482, authored by former Assemblymember David Chiu, who represented the 17th District (San Francisco) until October last year, passed the Legislature in 2019 and took effect in 2020. Among other things, the legislation caps yearly rent increases to 10% for areas without rent control and provides financial assistance for tenants who were evicted because an owner of the property moved in.

San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Long and Los Angeles all have laws on the books or proposals in the pipeline requiring landlords to pay to evict tenants.

As of July 1st, California’s eviction moratorium ended. Reports are that evictions are on the rise in some California cities, like Sacramento, for example.

Velma Marie Poplar, the owner of a property in Compton with 10 units and 10 families, says that this law is ill-conceived, and it will particularly hurt struggling Black property owners who do not have a lot of money saved up to absorb unanticipated expenses.

“I don’t think this is a good idea right now because these are hard times for us as well,” said Poplar, explaining some of the challenges landlords face.

“I don’t think it’s fair that a landlord has to pay a tenant to move out,” she continued.

Poplar says her financial struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic has been interfering with her and her husband’s ability to build generational wealth for her Black family.

“Right now, we’re barely making ends meet during the pandemic ourselves. We’re spending a lot of money that we had saved before COVID because you still have to maintain the apartments,” said Poplar.

She said many large real estate management companies may be able to afford to pay tenants a month’s worth of rent, but most small property owners cannot.

“The laws are not made for small business owners, they’re made for big businesses; either you’re rich or you’re not and the rich can outlast people like me,” Poplar emphasized.

In California and many other states, lawmakers responded to the global COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on renters by enacting protections for tenants whose abilities to earn money may have been impacted by local health and safety guidelines.

Poplar claims that some tenants have been taking advantage of those protections.

“During COVID-19, a lot of their incomes had not changed yet they refused to pay rent,” said Poplar.

She claims that 4 of her 10 tenants have not been paying rent due to the eviction moratorium and other pandemic related ordinances.

Although many Californians facing eviction have applied for the state’s COVID-19 rent relief-program, the process takes time, renter advocates say.

According to the California Department of Housing, over the last 15 months, $4 billion in financial support has been disseminated to 340,000 renter households.

“California ran the largest and most successful eviction protection and rent relief program in the country,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “340,000 families weren’t evicted because of this, and the overwhelming majority of assistance went to very low-income households. Homelessness prevented, public health protected, families stabilized.”

While rent is on the rise in the Sacramento area, Poplar said she has not raised rent on her tenants because she “knows the tenants can’t afford it.”

She also said that her taxes go up every year.

“Anyone who isn’t paying rent is getting evicted after COVID-19 is over,” said Poplar. “If I don’t catch up with everything I need to catch up with, my bills, I’m going to lose what I’ve worked so hard for in the last 17 years.”

She said that she’s worried the banks will take her and her husband’s property if they cannot continue to afford it due to pandemic related income loss.

“I would lose everything,” said Poplar.

According to reports, the lawsuit related to the court’s decision to uphold the rent payment law was filed by Better Housing for Long Beach and they are considering appealing to the Supreme Court.