Yearly Archives: 2016

New legislation introduced by Senators Mark Leno and Cathleen Galgiani provides critical protections for widowed spouses and other survivors who assume home ownership responsibilities when the primary mortgage holder passes away. The Homeowner Survivor Bill of Rights, (Senate Bill 1150) closes a loophole in California law that fails to provide surviving spouses and children important protections against foreclosure that are available to other homeowners

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) led a letter with California House Republicans to President Obama calling on him to direct federal agencies to increase water exports in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta immediately. Excerpts from the letter are below followed by the full letter.

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that the City will open a new Navigation Center and lease an additional 200 units of housing for the homeless. The new Navigation Center, which will begin accepting clients in two months, will be located at the Civic Center Hotel, which will be expanded with additional supportive services. Mayor Lee also announced the addition of 200 new units to the City’s supportive housing portfolio to provide additional exits to clients of the Navigation Center system

U.S. House Representative Jerry McNerney (CA-09) participated in a first-of its-kind White House Water Summit as a panelist to discuss innovative financing and water infrastructure solutions. The summit, which coincides with World Water Day, featured panel discussions and speakers from the public and private sectors to raise awareness of water issues facing our country.

Global real estate investment and services firm Kennedy Wilson negotiated the sale of 8100 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, California, a 29,000-square-foot building best known as Fred Segal, a well-known icon in the fashion world, on behalf of the seller. The buyer is retail real estate investor, CormackHill, LP.

LBG REAL ESTATE COMPANIES, LLC (LBG), a Southern California-based investor in retail real estate, announces that the firm has completed the sale of a prime, newly-redeveloped retail center in Huntington Beach, Calif. to a private investor based in Orange County at a sale price of $18,555,000.

Low inventories and eroding affordability coupled with financial market volatility contributed to a second consecutive month of year-over-year declines for pending home sales statewide, CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that the City will open a new Navigation Center and lease an additional 200 units of housing for the homeless. The new Navigation Center, which will begin accepting clients in two months, will be located at the Civic Center Hotel, which will be expanded with additional supportive services. Mayor Lee also announced the addition of 200 new units to the City’s supportive housing portfolio to provide additional exits to clients of the Navigation Center system.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today an agreement with a Cupertino, California-based property management company, its agents and the owners of a Santa Clara apartment complex to resolve allegations they discriminated against applicants based upon their national origin. HUD alleged that the Salwasser Group, Inc. (doing business as Income Property Specialists) and property owners Gary and Mary Drieger discriminated against prospective renters by refusing to accept Mexican forms of identification, while encouraging a Canadian passport holder to apply for an apartment.

Hanley Investment Group, a nationally-recognized real estate brokerage and advisory firm specializing in retail property sales, announced today that Senior Vice President Jeremy McChesney completed the sale of two single-tenant NNN-leased properties occupied by O’Reilly Auto Parts in separate transactions with the same buyer to complete 1031 exchanges. The combined purchase price for both properties was $5,537,500.

Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. highlighted the importance of strengthening drought forecasting in light of recent water releases at Folsom Dam. In his opening remarks to the Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Bera discussed the recent water releases from Folsom Lake and emphasized the benefit of better forecasting.

As millions of elderly Americans face economic challenges to sustain quality health care and in home supportive services, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) voted to renew support programs vital to seniors. The House passed its renewal of the Older Americans Act, which provides critical social and nutritional services, such as meal delivery and respite care

Tia Boatman Patterson, the California Housing Finance Agency's Executive Director, joined Leadership California's class of 2016 for their California Issues & Trends Program. This yearlong program includes 60 women from across the state who meet their criteria for accomplishment, diversity and knowledge, to participate in a rigorous leadership program

—Mercy Loan Fund (MLF), a leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Denver, Colo., announced that it has partnered with Mercy Housing California. (MHC), to preserve 64 affordable homes in Oxnard, Calif.

Historic legislation enacted by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. last year empowers local agencies to bring groundwater basins into sustainable patterns of pumping and recharge. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) will hold three public meetings this week to present draft regulations that include how it will evaluate the development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans, alternatives, and coordination agreements by local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

California State Parks today announced the application deadline for the $15 million nationwide Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) – Friday, Apr. 15, 2016

Los Angeles City Clerk Holly Wolcott announced that a petition for an Initiative Ordinance submitted on February 17, 2016, relative to Affordable Housing and Labor Standards for General Plan Amendments and Zoning Changes was approved by the Office of the City Clerk on March 14, 2016 for circulation and collection of signatures of registered voters in the City of Los Angeles. The official title and summary of the proposal as prepared by the City Attorney is included below

As families in Flint, Michigan continue to struggle with lead-contaminated water, eighteen Senators are pushing to boost investment in water infrastructure repairs to avert future crises of contaminated drinking water supplies.

Miguel Hernandez is the first homeless veteran to benefit from the Landlord Veteran Incentive Program (Landlord VIP), administered by the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA). Hernandez received keys to his apartment on March 1, just one week after the unit passed inspection and the landlord received incentive monies.