14 (84)
Susana Barrios
From:Marc Herbert <fatclaw@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, April
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Fwd: Walnut apt. evictions
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Here is what the Anaheim and Disney affordable housing policy looks like today. The chances are that it
will look much the same after the Council's approval of the DisneyForward proposal on April 16th.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Marc Herbert <
Date: Fri, Apr 12, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Subject: Walnut apt. evictions
To: Norma C. Kurtz <nkurtz@anaheim.net>
Dear Mayor ProTem Campos Kurtz,
It was good seeing you at the April 10 DisneyForward Open House. As per your request I'm following up
on the Walnut St. apartment evictions.
Monday afternoon I spoke with She and her husband have been
evicted and will be moving in May. Her cell phone- (
Two months after Mayor Aitken's Walnut Street walk in Jan.-
1. The Mayor's office no longer returns calls.
2. The Housing Department has been of no help. Their suggestions have either been too expensive or
unsafe.
3. After 2 visits, Code no longer responds.
4. The ceiling still leaks in their apt. Recently they had a plant growing out of their ceiling.
5. has a spotless apartment. She admits to being a clean freak. Yet, there is black mold around the
inside edges of her ceiling.
6. Due to the remodeling of the apartment next door, their apartment has lost half of its electricity. They
use an extension cord to run their electric stove.
7. In the remodeled apartments, the 50 year old asbestos popcorn ceilings are not being replaced
through a certified abatement program. There are about 48 units in the 6 buildings. The popcorn
ceilings are simply being plastered over.
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8. has lived here for 13 years. Her rent is $ Affordable units like her 1 bedroom are being
remodeled and rented for $2,100. After looking at the substandard and illegal remodeling efforts, they
declined an offer to rent.
9. says, "We're forgotten. Nobody cares."
Conclusions-
a) If the Council has trouble enforcing code violations on a single owner's 48 affordable units, how will
Anaheim enforce code violations in the DisneyForward expansion? This will be a problem.
b) According to the Annual Housing Element Progress Report issued on March 26, 2024-
965 Home Building Permits were issued Anaheim in 2023.
787 permits were in the Above-Moderate Income category.
178 permits were in the 3 Affordable Income categories.
The loss of the 48 affordable apts. that are being remodeled on Walnut St. will reduce Anaheim's 2023
net increase in affordable units to 130 affordable units for the year.
(178 permits issued - 48 the Walnut apt. evictions = 130 net affordable units).
c) Disney is spending over $320 million building 1,100 affordable units for Florida's DisneyWorld. In the
DisneyForward deal, Disney is offering $30 million for affordable housing.
According to Grace Steptor, affordable housing cost Anaheim $550,000 per unit. This works out to 52
units. The 48 affordable units lost on Walnut St. sold for $11 million last year.
d) Silvia is right- "We're forgotten. Nobody cares."
Sincerely,
Marc Herbert
(
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