WHC Activities

RESEARCH

Cal Poly's SLO Collaborative Housing Team led by Workforce Housing Coalition member D.Gregg Doyle won the Bank of America Low-Income Housing Challenge for its project to revitalize the Oak Park housing project in Paso Robles.  The award, announced May 15, 2005 includes a $750 donation to a local nonprofit.

View the Workforce Housing Coalition Press Conference PowerPoint presentation.

Under the direction of D. Gregg Doyle, Cal Poly professor and Workforce Housing Coalition member, Cal Poly's Community Planning Lab developed infill housing strategies for Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, and Grover Beach.  You can view these presentations by clicking one of the links below:

• Atascadero Presentation
• Atascadero Infill Housing Strategy
• Grover Beach Presentation (16 page overview)
• Grover Beach Infill Housing Strategy (66 page detailed report)
• Arroyo Grande Presentation (31 page overview)
• Arroyo Grande Infill Housing Strategy (61 page detailed report)

PUBLIC EDUCATION

March 19, 2008: Surplus Land & Institutional Land for Affordable Housing

This seminar explained how surplus public and institutional land has been and can be developed as affordable housing in California.  Ehud Mouchly of UniDev Corporation, which developed a housing site at UC Irvine, Mary Jarvis of the SLO County Office of Education, Jim Reinhart of Cal Poly Housing Corporation, Ken Trigueiro of Peoples' Self-Help Housing, and John Campanella of Bermant Homes were the speakers.

September 16, 2006: Housing Education Fair

More than 200 visitors attended the Workforce Housing Coalition's Housing Education Fair where they found information about buying, renting, designing and insuring an affordable home in San Luis Obispo County. 

The information fair had forty different booths staffed by housing professionals who answered questions about buying or renting a home in the local market.  Peoples' Self-Help Housing, First Bank of San Luis Obispo, Habitat for Humanity, the San Luis Obispo Realtors Association, SLO Green Build, the Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo, The Mortgage House, Inc., property managers, and local planning and building departments all had booths at the fair.

The event also featured panel discussions.  San Luis Obispo County Planning Director Vic Holanda and Cal Poly Professor D. Gregg Doyle discussed how people can better understand and influence the local housing marketplace.  Scott Smith from Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and Roxanne Carr from the Mortgage House explained what you need to know to be a smart housing shopper, whether you are buying or renting.

Major event sponsors included The Mortgage House, Inc., Rossi Enterprises, KSBY, and the County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & Building and Board of Supervisors.

October 27, 2005: Higher Density Housing

Responding to popular demand, a third workshop on Higher Density Housing was held at the Arroyo Grande City Council Chambers, 215 E. Branch Street in Arroyo Grande on October 27.  R. Thomas Jones, Dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Dave Watson of King Ventures, & Scott Smith of Peoples' Self-Help Housing were the panelists.  They discussed ways to design and develop higher density housing that enhances existing neighborhoods, preserves the environment, and supports other community goals.  Seventy people attend the workshop.    

June 9 & August 4, 2005: Higher Density Housing

R. Thomas Jones, Dean of the Cal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design, David Watson of King Ventures, John Campanella of Bermant Development, and local planner Mike Multari discussed ways to design and develop higher density housing that enhances existing neighborhoods, preserves the environment, and supports other community goals.  The workshops were held at the San Luis Obispo City/County Library and Templeton Middle School.  More than 75 people attended each program.

October 2004: Above the Fold: Housing Downtown

Seismic retrofit of older buildings and affordable housing for their employees are two problems facing businesses in San Luis Obispo County.  The Workforce Housing Coalition brought housing and retrofitting together with a panel of experts who explored how property owners can create affordable downtown housing while bringing their buildings into compliance with current earthquake safety standards. SLO City Chief Building Official Tom Baasch, Cal Poly architecture professor Alice Mueller, builder and developer Rob Rossi, and civil engineer Bob Vessely discussed retrofit issues and housing for downtown at the San Luis Obispo City-County Library on October 26, 2004.  The program was later shown on the government channel, Charter Channel 21. 

May 2003: A Celebration of Community Housing

Members of the Workforce Housing Coalition organized "A Celebration of Community Housing" on May 31, 2003, to showcase well-designed, higher density, more reasonably priced housing in San Luis Obispo County.

ADVOCACY

May 2009

The WHC supported the Wineman Hotel redevelopment in San Luis Obispo.  The restored Wineman will have 47 studio apartments, 24 of them will be deed-restricted affordable for low-income renters.  The remaining units will be affordable to moderate-income renters. 

April 2009

The WHC supported Habitat for Humanity's Phillips Lane project in San Luis Obispo.  The two-home single-family development will provide homeownership opportunities for very low-income families.

March 2009

The WHC supported the 80-unit Moylan Terrace project to be built by the Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo.  Moylan Terrace will provide homeownership opportunities for families ranging from very low to workforce income.

January 2009

The WHC supported the the Nelson Street Studios, five independent-living studio apartments being built by Transitions-Mental Health Association in Arroyo Grande. 

April 2008

The WHC supported efforts by the City of Atascadero to improve its housing policies and update its Housing Element.  

August 2007

The WHC supported the 52-unit Roosevelt Family Apartments rental development in Nipomo.  The units will be affordable to renters earning between 30% and 60% of the median income for the county.  We wrote letters to the County Planning Commission in advamce of the public hearing on September 13.

June 2007

The WHC supported a resolution before the City Council of San Luis Obispo to extend fee waivers to all deed-restricted affordable housing units constructed in the city.  Previously, due to a technicality, development review and permit fee waivers were available for affordable housing units only when five or more units were constructed.  The City Council approved the resolution by consent.  With this change, fee waivers are now also available to builders building one to four units of housing for very low and low income residents.

February 2007

The WHC supported adoption of a temporary ordinance to prohibit conversion of mobile home parks to other uses.  Mobile home parks are currently an important source of affordable housing in the county.  In a letter to the Board of Supervisors, the WHC supported a short-term moratorium and urged the development and adoption of a permanent Mobile Home Park Conversion Ordinance.  The Supervisors voted to approve a 45-day moratorium and to consider an extension of the moratorium at the end of the 45-day period. 

November 2006

The WHC endorsed Serenity Hills, a 43-unit rental development in Templeton.  The units will be available to county residents making between 30% and 60% of the median income and will remain affordable for 55 years.  We sent letters to the developer and the Templeton Area Advisory Council in support of the project. 

October 2006

The WHC endorsed Habitat for Humanity's four-unit Traffic Way project in Atascadero.  The simple, decent Habitat style homes will be sold to very low-income homebuyers and deed restricted for at least 30 years.  The project has one two-bedroom home and three two-bedroom units.  The WHC sent letters to the Atascadero Mayor and City Council members to support Habtiat's request for Redevelopment funds for the project.  The Atascadero Redevelopment Agency unanimously voted to provide funds for the project.

August 2006

The WHC endorsed the LGA project - Barnett Avenue Town Homes in Arroyo Grande.  The project includes ten for-sale homes ranging in size from 680 square feet to 1707 square feet.  The smallest unit is affordable and deed restricted. The others are affordable by design.  The project came before the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission on August 15.  The WHC sent a letter of endorsement to the Planning Commission and WHC Board members spoke in support of the project.  The Planning Commission unanimously approved the project.

March 2006

The WHC unanimously supported the 40-unit Cider Village rental development in Nipomo.  The units will be affordable to renters earning between 30% and 60% of the median income for the county.  We wrote letters to the Board of Supervisors, County Planning Commission, Nipomo CSD, and the Nipomo Community Advisory Council.  We spoke in support of the proposal at the Planning Commission on April 27.

February 2006

The Workforce Housing Coalition endorsed the recommendation by the City of San Luis Obispo's Planning Commission to reduce the minimum lot size for R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and 0 lots in the city from 6,000 to 5,000 sq. ft.  We believe smaller lot sizes will encourage smaller houses that are affordable by design and that use land more efficiently.  We wrote letters to the City Council members and to the editor of The Tribune, and spoke at the City Council meeting in support of the recommendation.

August 2005

The Workforce Housing Coalition supported the Morro del Mar project in Morro Bay to build 16 one-bedroom rental units (2 of which would be very low-income rentals), 5 single-family homes, and 1,850 square-feet of commercial space.  We wrote letters to Mayor Janice Peters and the City Council and attended public hearings.

August 2005

The WHC sent letters to Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Representatives Bill Thomas and Lois Capps in support of the "Housing America's Workforce Act of 2005", S. 1330 and H.R. 3194 respectively.  If passed, the Act will offer tax credits to encourage and reward employers who provide housing assistance for their employees.  It will also make housing assistance a tax-free employee benefit.

March 2005

The Workforce Housing Coalition opposed Paso Robles' plan to use a community facility district to force new homeowners to pay extra property tax to receive the same level of public services available to the owners of existing homes.  The WHC wrote to Paso Robles Mayor Frank Meecham to encourage local governments to do more to promote rental and for-sale houisng that is affordable to workforce families.

November 2004

The Workforce Housing Coalition supported authorization of a General Plan Amendment to allow developers to move forward with a 250 unit housing development, to include smaller, cluster units and an affordable component, on property near Old Town Nipomo.  The Board of Supervisors rejected the GPA proposal.

September 2004

The Workforce Housing Coalition supported the Dove Creek development in Atascadero.  This 279 unit project of town homes, cluster homes, and single family homes on 63 acres at the southern end of Atascadero includes 20 town home units reserved for very low-income buyers.  The greater density allowed with the town homes and cluster homes should make these units affordable to moderate income buyers.

June 2004

The Workforce Housing Coalition supported the Lachen Tara project in Avila Beach before the SLO County Planning Commission.  Thirty-three affordable rental units for low and very low income households will be built and managed by Peoples' Self-Help Housing Corporation.  Priority will be given to persons displaced by the Unocal clean up and to those currently working in Avila Beach.

The Workforce Housing Coalition endorsed the Tumbling Waters project in San Luis Obispo.  175-180 smaller townhouse units are planned.  It is a well-designed development focused on creating a community for its residents.  The smaller units and higher density represent "affordability by design", plus the developer is prepared to work with the city to build additional legally enforceable inclusionary units.

 May 2004

The Workforce Housing Coalition is considering support of the Bridge Street Project in San Luis Obispo because at least 10% of the units will be affordable units, twice the number required by the City's inclusionary housing ordinance.  The development also is a sustainable building project that uses renewable materials, conserves energy, and makes efficient use of land.

The Workforce Housing Coalition spoke before the Atascadero City Council in support of secondary units as a way to provide some affordable housing units in Atascadero.  The City Council has directed staff to draft a new ordinance with regard to secondary units.

The Workforce Housing Coalition supported Peoples' Self-Help Housing's proposal to increase the number of units in its rental housing complex on South Higuera in SLO from 22 to 30.  The increased number of units makes better use of the property than an earlier design.

February 2004

The Workforce Housing Coalition supported the SLO County Housing Trust Fund's request that the surplus land behind General Hospital be made available for affordable housing.  The coalition wrote to the Board of Supervisors encouraging them to make the land available for housing for low-income residents.