Low-income housing OKd

CITY HALL — The City Council increased Burbank’s affordable housing stock Tuesday with a 4-1 vote that paves the way for a four- unit property on Naomi Street to be made available for low-income families.

The council approved a $1.69-million loan, to be paid through a combination of federal and city grants that the Burbank Housing Corporation will now use to renovate and provide living assistance to its future tenants.

“What we’re doing is preserving affordable housing stock,” said Judith Arandes, the group’s executive director. “The Burbank Housing Corporation can’t change the terms, we can’t flip it, we can’t sell it. The city is gaining a consistently stable property.”

The city and the Redevelopment Agency’s partnership with the housing corporation dates back to 1997. Since then, all three organizations have looked to acquire and rehabilitate properties in so-called Focus Neighborhoods of Burbank that has led to the purchase of 230 units in five areas of the city.

The housing corporation has outlined four income levels for affordable housing in the city — from the most severely economically disadvantaged families to a “moderate” group that allows a family of four with a collective annual income of less than $72,000 to apply for affordable housing.

But waiting lists for three of the four groups — “extremely low,” “very low” and “lower” — are now closed due to the glut of interested applicants looking for affordable housing in Burbank.

Officials at the housing corporation could reopen two of the lists in December, but will not likely accept applications for the lowest income group in the near future due to demand, Arandes said.

Arandes said her group caps the list to ensure realistic waiting times for affordable housing.

“It’s useless and self-defeating if someone will be on the list for nine or 10 years,” she said.

City officials agreed to purchase the newest property, at 2406 N. Naomi St., for $995,000 on Aug. 1 and said they will overhaul the four-unit site, which consists of four two- bedroom, two-bath units with a den and four covered parking spaces after the current tenants are relocated.