Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Council fails to accept $20.1M Homekey award for University Terrace Homes after heated public hearing
Summary
Councilmembers split after hours of testimony over converting the Quality Inn on University Avenue into 114 studio units (94 Homekey permanent supportive housing units); proponents cited $20.14M in state Homekey funds and on‑site case management while opponents raised siting, enforceability and safety concerns. Motion to accept award failed 3–4.
A contentious public hearing on Jan. 13 ended with the Riverside City Council declining to accept conditional Homekey grant terms and related city loans for the University Terrace Homes project after a divided seven‑member vote.
City staff and Riverside Housing Development Corporation (RHDC) described a plan to acquire and rehabilitate the Quality Inn at 1590 University Avenue into 114 studio units, converting 94 rooms to Homekey permanent supportive housing (PSH) restricted at 30% of area median income and 20 units restricted at up to 80% AMI. The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued a conditional Homekey award of approximately $20,137,410; staff said total capital and operating costs are estimated at about $29.67 million with additional local soft commitments of about $9.5 million. HCD’s award requires a 55‑year affordability covenant.
RHDC CEO Bruce Culpa said the developer would provide intensive property management, 24/7…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat