IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has approved plans for a 190-unit affordable housing community in Bloomington that will include a new branch library and a community center.
The $34 million project will be built in two phases near the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Locust Avenue, with infrastructure construction expected to start in February, said Dena Fuentes, director of the county’s community development and housing department.
One hundred and six units will be built during the first phase, 70 for senior citizens and 36 for families, along with the 2,200-square-foot community center and the library branch.
The remaining 84 units, all for families, will be built during the second phase, according to the community development and housing department, which is in charge of the development.
Bloomington, an unincorporated community with a median income below the county’s median income, is badly in need of affordable housing, Fuentes said.
“It’s very desired in that part of the county,” Fuentes said of the project, which was the subject of several public hearings. “Affordable housing projects usually get some opposition, but there was no resistance in this case. A lot of people will be delighted to see this happen.”
The project, which the board approved unanimously on last week, will consist of one, two and three-bedroom units.
Monthly rents will range from $975 for a three-bedroom apartment down to $213 for a one-bedroom apartment, depending on a tenant’s income, said Anthony D. Perez, spokesman for the county’s economic development agency.
Funding will come from a number of sources, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, money left over from the county’s former redevelopment agency and tax credits.
The Bloomington project will compete for federal funding against similar projects in other counties. Funds will be awarded based on need.
The federal money will come from HUD but will be administered through the state treasurer’s office, Fuentes said.
San Bernardino County officials included the library branch and the community center in the project because they believe those components will help secure funding.
“You have a better chance if you’re trying to improve the community and [are] not just building houses,” Fuentes said. “These are usually infill projects, so it also helps if you can put them close to a school or a shopping center.”
San Bernardino County must secure some federal funding – how much is not yet known – in order for construction on the Bloomington affordable housing project to begin, Fuentes said.
