The Future of Affordable Housing is Being Decided Now

Aug. 13, 2013 / By

According to a report from the community advocate Housing Long Beach, “Nearly half of Long Beach renters spent more than 35% of their income on rent—forcing almost 130,000 residents to choose between rent, food, and medical expenses each month.”

Housing Long Beach (HLB) is leading an effort to address the issue of affordable housing through the Housing Element (HE). According to HLB, the HE planning document ..”is required for all cities and counties by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and must be updated every 8 years.”

Kerry Gallagher, Executive Director, Housing Long Beach spoke with VoiceWaves about the the need for affordable housing.

The Housing Element is currently under review by the city’s Planning Commission. A final public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Thursday, September 5th at 5pm in the City Council Chambers. Their recommendations are scheduled to be taken up by the full City Council on Tuesday, October 1, 5pm.

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Adalhi Montes

As a teenager, Adalhi began volunteering at many programs helping our communities become healthier and safer to provide resources to people in need. He was involved with Weed and Seed in Central Long Beach and is a youth mentor for the California Conference for Equality and Justice. Adalhi is also in the process of completing the neighborhood leadership program at the Advanced Organizing Institute and is studying Radio and television broadcasting at LBCC. In the future, he looks forward to joining the Marine Corps and continuing his education.