Greedy nonprofit housing developers have minimum income requirements

Greedy nonprofit housing developers have minimum income requirements

By Lynda Carson - August 21, 2014

Oakland - Greedy nonprofit housing developers in Oakland and the Bay Area continue to have minimum income requirements at their so-called affordable housing projects that discriminate against the poor, and create homelessness as a result.

As an example, at the Avalon Senior Housing project located at 3850 San Pablo in Oakland, the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) demands that people seeking housing at this project must have a minimum income of at least twice the rent. Presently studio apartments are going for $600.00 a month at this project, one bedroom apartments are going for as high as $712.00 per month, and two bedroom apartments are going for $845.00.

The average monthly social security check for a single retired worker is currently $1,294.00, which means that the average retired person on social security cannot afford to reside in a one bedroom or two bedroom apartment at the Avalon Senior Housing project, and can barely afford to reside in a studio apartment at this location. Many retired workers earn much less than $1,294.00 per month as social security income, and the poor people face discrimination at many so-called affordable housing projects in Oakland, and throughout the Bay Area.

Presently, the average Social Security monthly benefit in California during 2014 is $1,294 per month. The average SSI (disability) benefit payment is $877.40 per month. The average TANF (CalWorks) family in California is an adult with two children that receives $510 a month in benefits. General Assistance in California during 2014 pays $336 per month to a single person. Food Stamps (CalFresh/SNAP) for one person is $189 per month, and persons receiving SSI/SSP are not allowed in the program.

At the Erna P. Harris Court in Berkeley owned by Resources for Community Development (RCD) they are demanding that tenants earn a minimum of $5,700 per year to be able to reside in an SRO unit, and must earn at least $9,495 per year to reside in a one bedroom apartment at this so-called taxpayer affordable housing project.

Residents at the Fargo Senior Center in San Leandro, owned by Christian Church Homes of Northern California (CCH), are required to earn as much as twice the rent at this so-called affordable housing project. Studio apartments go for as much as $491-$818 per month, and one bedroom apartments cost $526-$876 per month, leaving many poor social security recipients out in the cold because they do not meet the minimum income requirements at this taxpayer subsidized housing project.

At the Fremont Oak Gardens owned by SAHA Homes, another so-called affordable housing developer, poor people face discrimination at this location if they fail to meet the minimum income requirement of $10,994 per year at this so-called affordable housing development for seniors 55, and older.

The Harrison Hotel, downtown Oakland that has 81 SRO units in the building, requires that poor people earn as much as twice the rent, and the rent at this location is $375 per month.

Helios Corner owned by SAHA Homes in Berkeley, has 80 senior and special needs units, but demands that poor people must earn $17,304 per year to reside in a studio apartment, $18,456 to live in a one bedroom unit, and a whopping $22,080 to reside in a two bedroom unit in this so-called affordable taxpayer subsidized housing project.

The project called Homes Now In The Community owned by SAHA Homes in Oakland, has ten special needs apartments for rent, but demands that the low-income tenants in the area must earn as much as 30% of the local AMI to reside there.

Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments in Oakland, which is also owned by SAHA Homes, is a 70 unit project for seniors. Poor people face discrimination at this so-called affordable housing taxpayer subsidized project if they do not earn as much as $11,328 per year to live in a studio apartment, or as much as $18,408 per year to live in a one bedroom apartment.

Northgate Terrace for seniors in Oakland, owned by Christian Church Homes of Northern California (CCH) requires that the poor elderly people seeking housing at this taxpayer subsidized housing project must earn as much as $1,450 per month, which is way more than the average person receiving social security earns each month.

The Peter Babcock House in Berkeley owned by SAHA Homes, is a special needs project with five SRO units, and demands that poor people must earn as much as $7,320 per year to reside in this taxpayer subsidized so-called affordable housing project.

At the Ellis St. Apartments in San Francisco owned by Asian Inc., another so-called affordable housing developer, is a project with thirty units of studio and one bedroom apartments, and the minimum income requirement is $1,400 per month, which discriminates against the average person receiving social security payments of $1,294 per month.

The Bayanihan House in San Francisco owned by TODCO, has 152 SRO units with shared bathrooms, and charges $545 per month in rent, but they have a minimum income requirement of $866.40 per month which leaves many out in the cold as a result.

Coleridge Park Homes for seniors in San Francisco owned by Bridge Housing, has a minimum income requirement of $17,616 per year for some, and as much as $26,808 per year for others at this taxpayer subsidized housing project.

The Knox SRO building in San Francisco owned by TODCO, has 18 SRO units, and they have a minimum income requirement of $866.40 at this taxpayer subsidized so-called affordable housing project.

The William Penn Hotel in San Francisco owned by China Town CDC, has 96 SRO units, and the minimum income requirement is 1.5 times the rent. The rent is $460-$541 per month at this taxpayer subsidized so-called affordable housing project, leaving many poor people left out in the cold.

Salaries & Wage Compensation of Executives in the Local Affordable Housing Industry

Meanwhile, many executives in the so-called nonprofit housing industry are raking in some hefty salaries and wage compensation at the same time they discriminate against the poor with their minimum income requirements.

The latest annual salaries and compensation figures from Bridge Housing for their top executives from 01/01/2012 and ending 12/31/2012: Cynthia Parker - $491,797. Rebecca Hlebasko - $303,122. Susan Johnson - $287,592. D Valentine - $286,960. Kimberly A. McKay - $282,727. Tom Early - $263,437. Brad Wilbin - $241,524. Phillip Williams - $199,571. Corinne Morrison - $193,734. Tom Casey - $188,991. James Valva - $185,685. Jeff Williams - $173,369. Mari Hikida - $172,732. Rebecca Clarke - $152,219.

EAH Inc.; In 2012, more than 11 executives at EAH Inc., earned well over $100,000 per year, including 2 people raking in well over $200,000 a year. Leading the pack, Mary Murtagh, President, was paid $298,850 in 2012. Laura Hall, Chief Operating Officer, was paid $208,286. Cathy Macy, CFO, was paid $186,709. Stephen Lucas, VP Acquisitions, was paid $182,991. Dianna Ingle, VP Re MGMT, was paid $163,324.

Affordable Housing Associates; In 2010, Susan Friedland, Executive Director of Affordable Housing Associates, was paid $133,731, but was payed $152,966 in 2012, a huge wage compensation increase of $19,235 during a period of massive budget cuts to the nation's housing programs during that same period.

Christian Church Homes: In 2011, Don Stump, President/CEO, was compensated $181,874. Cynthia Lappin, VP Operations & COO, was paid $157,295. Winthrop Marshall, VP Finance & CFO, was paid $151,687. Leilani Siegfried, VP Human Services, was paid $138,810. Geoffrey Morgan, VP Development, was paid $130,948. Sheryl Stella, Controller, was paid $123,832.

Eden Housing; In 2011, Linda Mandolini, Executive Director, was paid $188,834. Jan Peters, Chief Operating Officer, was paid $187,538. Terese Mcnamee, CFO, was paid $175,804.

Satellite Housing; In 2011, Ryan Chao, Executive Director, Satellite Housing was paid $175,321. Dori Kojima, was paid $105,179. Miriam Benavides was paid $100,093.

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation; During 2011, Jeremy Liu, Executive Director, was paid $125,217. Peter Sopka, CFO, was paid $125,101. Mary Hennessy, COO, was paid $110,126. Carlos Castallenos, Director of Real Estate Development, was paid $103,329. Records also show that in 2009, former Executive Director of EBALDC, Lynette Jung Lee, earned as much $140,536 that year, including an additional $5,942 in other compensation. Joshua Simon is the current Executive Director, of EBALDC.

Resources for Community Development; In 2011, Dan Sawislak, Executive Director, of received a total compensation of $127,330.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com