The Antelope Valley Times

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Lancaster approved for funding to address housing needs

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LANCASTER – The California Department of Housing and Community Development has approved the city of Lancaster for funding under the Local Early Action Planning Grants Program (LEAP Program). city officials announced Monday.

“The city has received a letter that constitutes a conditional commitment of $500,000 to be awarded… Under the grant, local governments may use the funding for the preparation and adoption of planning documents, process improvements that accelerate housing production, and to facilitate compliance in implementing the sixth cycle of the regional housing need assessment (RHNA). The city plans to use these funds towards our Parkway Village Specific Plan,” city officials said in a news release.

The Parkway Village plan would replace the Amargosa Creek Specific Plan, allowing for a variety of residential uses where it was once prohibited. In addition it will allow for a range of housing, from single-family residential development to multi-family residential development. All residential development, excluding projects that require discretionary action, would be included in the specific plan, moving this type of development from a prohibited use to a non-discretionary review. As a result, residential developments are processed administratively, providing assurance to these types of developments as it would not go before a public hearing unless appealed or in conjunction with a tentative tract or parcel map. This creates a more expedient development process.

“The city of Lancaster has been growing dramatically in the last decade. We continue to support and improve the city. I am excited for the opportunity to create a smart city — a community of the future. And this grant will help us accomplish our plan to create a brighter tomorrow for our residents,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris. “The city of Lancaster is pleased to announce our approval for the LEAP Program. The city looks forward to further developing the Parkway Village Specific Plan and continuing to address the housing crisis head-on.”

[Information via news release from the city of Lancaster.]

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Filed Under: Home, Lancaster

34 comments for "Lancaster approved for funding to address housing needs"

  1. Came across this site. As I type while catching my tears from falling. I am a new homeowner in Lancaster and I take care of both parents at the age of 30. I didn’t say I was rich, but I can say I’m Barely making it. I want the councilor(s) to look closely into providing more information on the Lancaster website (Or update frequently) for those in much need of help WITH PROOF OF LOSS WAGES. Not only am I concerned. I care too much for my new community going on 2 years and I have not received any mail other than, HEY homeowner READ THIS FINE PRINT. My parents shouldn’t have to worry that their daughter is hiding her stress because of IDENTITY THIEF and also not receiving any government help (I just started working less than a month) how would I pay my property taxes (luckily I paid off my mortgage) but property from November and this August plus interest. Never received any stimulus payment.

    Side note. I watch YouTube videos of those who claim kids and faithfully received alllllllllllllll benefits.
    I have no kids. My brother whom passed in November during the pandemic took toll of me and the family. And some say it’s easy to get back on track after a death. Also took good care of my brother before his passing days, he was only 33. I can’t bring him back to ask where did he put our taxes money for the house. Impossible. I’m sure I can’t file taxes on the care I gave when he isn’t here to speak for himself. I have original copies of me being a beneficiary. I’m not used to being in the position of taking care of more than 10 things. I’m financially embarrassed and it’s leading too far in depression.

    I really need the encouragement and a group of homeowners whom seems to fall in the same situation.
    I too , am not alone.

    #NOTALONE

  2. These comments you guys write are off the wall! Is your reading comprehension that terrible? Or has it just become a “thing” to mentally splice your own fears and biases into everything you read/see? Never mind. I already know the answer to that! We just got out of four years of having someone as president who thrives on this very issue.

    At NO POINT in this article was anything ever mentioned re: Section 8 housing. NO POINT! None.

    Here’s what the article did say:

    California has been deemed to have a housing shortage. Therefor, the state approved funds to help the city of Lancaster kickstart housing development. Lancaster picked land that was previously zoned “commercial” and changed its zoning to “residential”. The city will work with a developer to build housing to meet regional needs (and yes, there is a need!). The housing will have to meet a certain level of compliance with regard to energy consumption. The end.

    So, how was Section 8 brought into the equation?

    Go sign up for comprehension and remedial reading courses at Antelope Valley College! Do something. This is getting ridiculous.

      • Section 8 is a federal program administered by the counties or cities and their housing authorities. It has nothing to do with the state.

        The California Dept. of Housing and Community Development has a stipulation that a portion of housing (around 30%) be offered in the “affordable” category. Affordable by California and Los Angeles County standards means in the range that someone making less than $100k a year can afford it.

        This means that the housing plan in that designated area shouldn’t just cater to people making $100k a year or more, but to people making less. That means a variety of housing must be built to accommodate people in that category (30%). That translates to 30% of the development will be affordable to people who make less than the market threshold of $100k. Usually, this type of housing consists of condominiums or town homes on small or shared lots. There are some examples of this adjacent to Antelope Valley College on the north side. There is also a shared home owners association that keeps the parcels maintained.

        What are some examples of people who may qualify for this affordable housing?
        1.) A disabled veteran, and their spouse, on a fixed income with VA loan assistance
        2.) A non-disabled young veteran and their spouse, who are starting a family
        3.) A retiree on a fixed income who wants to downsize and move into a tract with decreased maintenance needs
        4.) A multigenerational household where income is generated by parents, children and grandparents and expenses are shared. This is a common arrangement for immigrant families.
        5.) A starter home for a young single professional just entering their career.

        The fallacy is that you associate “affordable” with Section 8, when there are so many other categories of people out there who could really benefit from this type of housing.

        • Will this be a threat or will be affected for people already living around that area? I mean, like crimes.

          • We have LEAPS to keep us safe what else do you want?We have LEAPS to keep us safe what else do you want?$10 million tax payer dollar boondoggle.$10 million tax payer dollar boondoggle.

  3. People that aren’t homeless, are people that go to work everyday doing things they may not like, but doing it to earn what is needed to feed and house themselves and their families.

    • @Bryan…There are many people that are homeless that not only have one job, but two or three. There are many families, veterans etc. that are struggling financially.

  4. Yes let’s keep spending money on housing developments when the housing issue is the vast amounts of homeless people who are in dire need of help, yeah I know they’re working on that, they’ve been working on that for yrs they even have a “emergency conference” about it yearly. Parris is a joke instead of actually doing something good for this city and addressing the real issues he lines his pockets n instructs his police department to harass the low income community and homeless community. Somehow I see this housing development never getting made, come to think of it Parris loves him some headlines bout “great exciting things for Lancaster” that never ever seem to come to fruition but then they don’t need to once he got his ego fixing headline.

    • my my coming is for today I am a identity theft victim and the people’s where I live at they think they are slick by stealing from the federal state in the government it doesn’t make any sense how people’s are money hungry these days and they don’t care they using my name to steal government funds my money that was supposed to be released to me and they thinking they going to get away with it God knows I keep them in my life that’s why I’m going to stay blessed then I don’t have time to lie to play games with the people that are stealing from the government state and the Federal God bless him

      • There are tons of vacant homes in Lancaster with many homeless families and people who are not ready for help. The city needs more of a facelift in many parts. Buying and fixing of properties already empty and destroyed by squatters. Invest in those homes. Get families into affordable housing. And I agree. The mayor is full of himself. Boo to him and his full ego and empty words.

        • Remember when Rex declared war on Section 8 and dragged Lancaster, Palmdale, and L.A. County into a huge lawsuit? He’s the gift that keeps giving. Giving us the shaft while he kicks back in Laguna in his beach house.

  5. This is the vacant land between L and K, 10th W and Sierra hwy. It was supposed to be a large commercial complex anchored by big box stores, but the recession and C19 stopped that.

  6. This is just a slick way of bringing MORE section 8 and SSI cases to Lancaster without breaking the awful news directly. The fact is that for decades, thousands of people came to Lancaster convinced that they had finally escaped the army of muggers, purses snatchers, panhandlers and shoplifters that always comes with large
    Section 8 concentration points. And since it certainly didn’t work, thousands of people realize that they have moved out in this hellish desert for nothing!

    • It would be interesting to see who owns each and every Section 8 house for rent in the Antelope Valley.

      The federal government pays the landlord not the voucher holder/renter. The renters get all the criticism, some deserved, while the anonymous landlords get the money.

      What keeps Republicans, who want to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and other assistance, from going after Section 8?

      Do you suppose it’s Republicans who own most of the Section 8 rental property here and elsewhere and don’t want to have the Section 8 gravy train touched?

      Sounds like “socialism” for Republican landlords who don’t want to list their rental homes on the open market and want the security of a federal program to make their mortgage payments for them or whatever.

      Discuss.

      • DemocRATS run this state from S.D to S.F. they’ve run it for the past 30-40 years…they’ve run it into the dirt. So if you have a problem take it up with democRATS in Sacramento and L.A county.

        • Oh, Jose poor Jose.

          Section 8 is a federal system(HUD) and not state or local program.

          It’s the Republicans who have had a recession every time a Republican is president. The economy crashes when a Republican is president, every time.

          So, Jose, can you see?

          • When it comes to shelter for low-income citizens, why does it have to include single family homes?

            A SFH requires upkeep and lots of it plus higher utility bills. What prevents those residents from living in apartments, townhomes, condos etc.? If there are a number of small children or someone with a disability that needs wheelchair access or some other reason to have a SFH, that’s fine.

            There are folks who live in 50-60 year old houses in county areas or in mobile home or trailor parks without Section 8 vouchers. I can’t quite get that Section 8 renters must live in better housing that those folks I just listed.

            I’ve seen classified ads in the local paper for things like this>

            4 bedroom, 3 bath home w/POOL
            Section 8 OK.

            They’ve got to be kidding but they aren’t. A home like that should not be eligible for Section 8.

            It’s stuff like that plus subsidizing landlords and abuses by some tenants that give Section 8 a bad name.

            Like everything else, there are competing interests that make for a program with lots of issues that won’t get addressed or they would have by now.

      • Not a single party issue.
        It is a class issue though where wealthy land owners do use the system for earning a steady income stream.

        • So, Seriously, which political party would you guess owns more Section 8 rentals in the Antelope Valley?

          And, the other part is what has Republicans be okay with Section 8 when they want to cut every other social service?

          Those 2 go together dontcha think?

          • But do they? I mean the grand state of Tennessee receives lots of tax monies for social services and Mitch seems fine with that.

      • The S8 houses in my neighborhood, 1 was owned by a disability winner (multimillion settlement), the other 2 were by the contractor/builder that couldn’t sell them after the 09 recession and decided to rent. For him it was easy to fix after they moved out and guaranteed rent. I am familiar with both and although we didn’t talk politics, they didn’t seem like your usual red hat Republican. Then again, you might be surprised at who Wall Street and the ultra rich supported in the last election.

        • If Wall Street supported Biden because it wants stability and Trump sure didn’t provide it with government shutdowns and a pisspoor response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s still with us.

          Of course after Biden, a Democrat, gets the economy back on track, Wall Street will once again want a Republican to lower taxes and cut regulations to give Wall Street another break so they can benefit from Republican malfeasance. It works for them!

          Do ya see a pattern here? Republicans = recessions/crashes Democrats = recoveries and stability. Rinse. Repeat. Right Trumpist#1?

          Discuss, if you can.

      • You’re right. About 75% of Section 8 home owners are Republicans. I worked in the housing authority office in Las Vegas for three years. All you have to do is cross reference the home owners names with their voter registration information. It’s not hard to do.

        In Las Vegas, I would say a good 1/3rd of all Section 8 rental property owners where white, Mormon Republicans.

        If it was like that there, I’m sure it’s the same in the Antelope Valley.

        • Thanks for the research Michael P.

          That has been the best well-kept secret of all the talk about social services and benefits that Republicans want to mess with. They won’t touch the one that benefits Republican landlords.

      • Call 211 its la County and of course antelope Valley hotline for local resources and referral program and if u go to https://www.211la.org/ it will lead u to other local resources for food bills rental and families and homeless

    • How can you say that? Just because the mayor purchased property from a redevelopment area when he was on the redevelopment board does not mean corruption. Nor does corruption mean you spend $10 million dollars on an airplane owned by the mayor’s political ally that flies around purportedly to help lower crime. Nepotism, cronyism, no bid contracts…the list goes on and on. How dare you call Lancaster officials corrupt.

    • Right! If they cared about that city they would have an oversight committee that would negotiate with large corporations to relocate to the area. All that vacant land and ONLY RETAIL JOBS. PITIFUL, PITIFUL, PITIFUL! Everyone who has a profession must commute , accept poor wages, decreased salary ranges.

  8. Parkway village plane is code for, has anyone heard of The Jordan Downs housing project in Watts. LMAO. Move to Tehachapi while you can still get top dollar for your home here.