To Cadence Real Estate, Chris Garvin, Barret Johnston, John Garvin:
I am writing to again urge you to transfer the building-based section 8 subsidies to another building in the Central District, to allow your tenants to remain in their communities when you demolish their homes.
My office has done outreach and found a not-for-profit affordable housing provider in the neighborhood willing to receive custody of that subsidy, and keep these tenants in housing. I am outraged to learn that you are demanding $100,000 from the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) to transfer the vouchers, essentially demanding a ransom for the homes of these low-income working-class families. It is unacceptable that you, as a corporation with $185 million in assets, would demand money from non-profits attempting to address the housing crisis with already limited funds, under the threat of displacing these low-income residents.
My Council Office has been working closely with the tenants of the Chateau Apartments to ensure that they continue to live in their neighborhood which they have been a part of for decades. Many of these tenants are working-class seniors, immigrants, families with young children, people with disabilities, and people of color who rely on the support networks they have built – on the healthcare nearby, on their community in the Central District, and on the immigrant network in the international district. We firmly believe that the working people who make this city run – like the nurse, postal worker, care givers, sanitation engineer who live at the Chateau Apartments – should be able to retire in the city that they work in, and age with dignity.
You have been made well aware of the need for these tenants to remain in their neighborhood, as they informed you at the March 14th meeting, and as has been reported in the press. LIHI has informed you of an available building for this project just blocks from the Chateau site, and of their willingness to take on this project. We are aware that the tenants will receive choice vouchers either way, allowing them to apply for any housing that fits the payment standard of the vouchers, However, in the context of this acute affordable housing crisis, it has been difficult for voucher holders to find landlords willing to accept those vouchers in their neighborhood. You are effectively threatening not just to displace these tenants from their homes, but now from their city altogether.
We urge you to transfer the section 8 project-based subsidy to LIHI to keep affordable housing and these tenants in the neighborhood without demanding this $100,000 ransom.
We urge you to transfer the section 8 project-based subsidy to LIHI to keep affordable housing and these tenants in the neighborhood without demanding this $100,000 ransom.
Thank you.
Councilmember Kshama Sawant