Press Release posted 3/24/13 – “Affordable Housing After the Redevelopment Era: What Now?” will be the topic of a free public forum April 4, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, the event will be at the Women’s City Club, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena.
A panel of professionals with expertise in housing will look at the current stagnated state of affordable housing in the region since Gov. Jerry Brown pulled the plug on 400 redevelopment agencies last year. It also will address prospects for the future. Included will be how League members and the public at large can help support efforts to preserve and develop affordable housing through a proposed Homes and Jobs Act and a $5 million-a-year fund for affordable-housing.
Here is the lineup of panelists:
Anne Lanier Marquit, Public Counsel’s community development attorney, will discuss how California got into its redevelopment quagmire, what the 2013 Homes and Jobs Act can do and how the $5-million fund works.
William Huang, director of the Pasadena Housing Department, will talk about how Pasadena is coping with a 93-percent loss in funds for affordable housing.
Joseph Carreras, housing director of the Southern California Association of Governments, will discuss demographics and housing patterns in the region.
As the luncheon speaker, Michelle White, director of Affordable Housing Services in Pasadena, will discuss opportunities to advocate for preservation and creation of affordable housing.
The program is free and open to the public. Lunch is available by reservation and costs $20, including tax and tip. The number to call for reservations is 626-798-0965.