Hermosa Beach To Join South Bay Housing Trust

HERMOSA BEACH, CA — Hermosa Beach is joining the South Bay Regional Housing Trust, a coalition of cities that aims to fund the development and construction of affordable housing in member cities.

The Hermosa Beach City Council approved the city's move during its March 10 meeting.

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments has now received council approval from 10 cities -- El Segundo, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, and Torrance -- to form a joint powers authority to create the regional housing
trust.

The trust's initial meeting is scheduled for April 23 at the
SBCCOG's Torrance offices.

``The need for an SBRHT rose as a proposed tool to help South Bay cities meet requirements of the state's Regional Housing Needs Allocation, which mandates that every local jurisdiction ensure there are enough sites appropriately zoned for affordable housing construction to accommodate projected growth as calculated by the state every eight years,'' SBCCOG Coard Chair Bernadette Suarez said in a statement.

``A regional housing trust has already been successfully implemented by other local subregions, such as San Gabriel Valley," Suarez, who's also a Lawndale City Council member, said.

Over the past year, the SBCCOG's consultant, CivicHome, has been developing a strategic plan, staffing plan, budget, and programs for the SBRHT board to consider adopting if formed.

City News Service contributed to this report.