SPECIAL ISSUE:
Westside Home & Garden
YO!
VENICE Pages 7–14
www.yovenice.com
October 11 – 24, 2019
Building Affordable too Costly? Use existing units to house homeless. By Sam Catanzaro As the Los Angeles City Controller reports that the cost of developing affordable housing in Los Angeles is too high, a city councilmember is suggesting housing individuals experiencing homelessness in already available units to address the homelessness crisis. On October 8, 2019, Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin released a report titled “The High Cost of Homeless Housing: Review of Proposition HHH” in which he suggests that lawmakers reallocate money intended for certain costly projects to fund temporary projects that will yield more immediate results. “Tens of thousands of people spend each night in Los Angeles living on the streets, in temporary shelters, or in parked vehicles. Recently published data shows the crisis is becoming increasingly tragic throughout the region – more than 1,000 people
experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County will likely die this year. The City, County, and service providers have sought to address the homelessness crisis through a combination of strategies, including street outreach and placement in temporary shelters or supportive housing – but it has been a particularly difficult challenge,” Galperin said. Los Angeles voters approved Proposition HHH in November 2016, authorizing the City to issue up to $1.2 billion in bonds to partially subsidize the development of up to 10,000 supportive housing units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. HHH funds can also be used to support new affordable housing units, temporary shelters and service facilities. The City’s initially estimated that the cost of building each studio/one-bedroom supportive housing unit would be $350,000 and a two-bedroom unit or larger would cost $414,000. While construction costs have increased across-the-board since these estimates were developed, the current costs far exceed the original projections. “These resources are finite; it is critical
that the City and developers minimize development costs in order to build as many housing units as possible,” Galperin said. According to Galperin, the median cost of building these units is $531,373 and approaches – and in many cases, exceeds – the median sale price of a condominium in the
City of LA ($546,000) and a single-family home in Los Angeles County ($627,690). The report cites one of the main drivers of costs to regulatory framework surrounding the development of affordable housing
HOUSING, see page 16
DEAD BODY FOUND ON VENICE BEACH
Man Arrested After Repeatedly Stabbing Wife in Venice
By S am C atanzaro
By Sam Catanzaro
LAPD finds a body found Wednesday morning.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating a dead body that was found on Venice Beach Wednesday morning. According to the LAPD, officers and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) re-
sponded to 600 block of Ocean Front Walk around 7 a.m. near where Sunset Avenue meets the beach. Homicide detectives responded to the scene as well. Police say the victim is an adult male. It is unknown presently how or when the man died and if he died on the beach or washed ashore. The man’s identity has not been released. Check back for more details as this story is developing
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LAPD arrest man on suspicion of murder Friday night
A man was arrested in Venice Beach Friday night after repeatedly stabbing his wife. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the incident occurred Friday, Oct. 4 at 6:10 p.m. in the 00 block of 27th Avenue, between Pacific
Avenue and Speedway near Venice Beach. The victim, described by the LAPD as a 48-year-old woman, suffered multiple stab wounds and was taken to a hospital. According to the LAPD, the woman remains in critical condition. Police describe the man as the woman’s husband. He was detained near the scene of the stabbing and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, according to the LAPD. Witnesses said they could hear the victim screaming for help near the time of the stabbing Friday night.
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