Inland Empire Working Group Reconvenes

Begins active collaboration to inform regional stakeholders about the benefits of affordable housing development in Riverside, San Bernardino Counties

SCANPH's Inland Empire Working Group (IEWG) met for the first time this year on March 6, 2008, with meetings scheduled for the first Thursday of each month thereafter. These meetings, hosted by the Riverside Housing Development Corporation, are attended by a broad-based coalition of non-profit housing development corporations and representatives from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Apart from the opportunity to discuss the unique hurdles to affordable housing development in the region on an ongoing basis, the IEWG will also be working with city and county governments to create an environment more favorable to the construction of affordable housing developments.

Because of long-standing and inaccurate beliefs about affordable housing, many local governments are reluctant to support the construction of these projects in their jurisdictions.

Thus, the IEWG will be educating municipalities throughout the Inland Empire about the social and economic benefits of affordable housing development. The fact is, affordable housing developments tend to be well-maintained, well-designed and professionally managed. Furthermore, construction of these projects is also an economic stimulant for the community, generating both jobs for residents and income for cities and counties.

In doing so, the group hopes to engage elected officials and housing staff in a discussion of how to build affordable developments in their communities. In some localities where IEWG members have community contacts, the IEWG will also be pushing for policy changes that will make affordable housing easier to development.

The next IEWG meeting will be held on May 1, 2008. For further information about the IEWG and its activities, contact Roy Samaan, Regional Policy Coordinator for SCANPH, at rsamaan@scanph.org or at 213.480.1249, ext. 245.