Advocates Worry Blackstone Sale Will Take Affordable Housing Crisis From Bad to Worse
The planned sale of 66 apartment buildings to the New York-based Blackstone Group highlights both the vulnerability of naturally affordable housing and the lack of requirement for owners to notify local governments of plans to unload properties.
The Doriana Apartments in southeastern San Diego are among the apartment buildings being acquired by the Blackstone Group in a pending sale. / Photo by Adriana Heldiz
The Conrad Prebys Foundation, a charitable organization, shocked affordable housing advocates last week when it announced that it would sell 66 apartment buildings to a private equity firm.
Local towns face increased state housing requirements almanacnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from almanacnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The San Joaquin Valley city of Clovis broke California law by failing to plan for sufficient affordable housing, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled April 30. “It’s a huge win,” said Desiree Martinez, a homeless activist and petitioner in the lawsuit.
Martinez and Maria de Jesus Sanchez sued the city in 2018, arguing that as low income renters, they were deliberately shut out of Clovis because of its vast swaths of land zoned exclusively for single family homes. Clovis is one of the most desirable communities in the San Joaquin Valley, with low crime rates and high performing schools.
The city had long been scrutinized by California housing officials for not zoning sufficient land at high enough densities to accommodate apartments affordable to low income people, as required by law. The law is based on the idea that because of economies of scale, developers can build more affordably by packing more living space into less land.
This week, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) announced the hiring of Anthony Pane as Chief Counsel. Mr. Pane joins the Commission from the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), where he managed the day-to-day activities of attorneys and advised Board/Bureaus on Bagley-Keene requirements among other things.
“The Commission is fortunate to have Mr. Pane join our team,” stated Chair Alicia Fernández. “He brings a wealth of experience working for state agencies and advising on Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act adherence, the state law that ensures the Commission functions in a transparent manner. He will also advise the Commission on state and federal laws governing the redistricting process.”