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Redondo Beach Council backs joining South Bay housing trust, asks staff to finalize JPA
Summary
After hearing that a new county fund (La Casa) will provide recurring Measure A revenue, the Redondo Beach City Council voted unanimously to signal support for joining a South Bay Regional Housing Trust and asked staff to return with a revised joint powers agreement for final approval in March.
Redondo Beach city leaders signaled unanimous support to join a proposed South Bay Regional Housing Trust and directed staff to return in March with a finalized joint powers agreement and recommended edits.
City manager’s staff member Jane Chung told the council the item would address two connected matters: formation of a housing trust and the fifth amended and restated JPA. Jackie Bacharach and Kevin Numana of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments presented the trust proposal and described how new county Measure A funding—managed by the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (La Casa)—creates a recurring pool of money that regional trusts can use for affordable housing production, preservation and ownership programs. "This is projected to bring in approximately $1,100,000,000 a year, and this funding does not sunset," Numana said when summarizing the funding context.
Proponents said a trust would enable tools the COG cannot use directly—such as construction, predevelopment and soft loans, and revolving loan programs—that allow funds to be reused for future projects. Presenters pointed to examples in other regions, where trust loan fee and interest revenue helped grow local portfolios and support additional projects.
City attorneys and councilmembers probed governance and legal terms. City Attorney Joy Ford flagged the indemnification language in the draft JPA as the "most concerning" item and said, as written, "the indemnification clause ... would put the city at the most liability if a claim was made against the city." Staff said all member-city attorneys would review the draft and that suggested edits were expected before final execution.
Council members asked about operating costs and staffing; presenters said La Casa includes administrative funding and that, for the first year, no member-city dues were anticipated—although future assessments would be set by the trust board. Staff estimated start-up administrative costs for other trusts at roughly $500,000 annually once programs ramp up, while stressing that the trust board would set final budgets and fee policies.
After discussion, the council voted 5-0 to express support for Redondo Beach’s participation in the trust, direct city staff to circulate suggested city‑attorney edits, and return in March with the JPA and proposed execution documents so the city can be represented during the trust’s initial formation.
The council’s action is procedural; the final agreement, liability protections, and any ongoing assessments will be resolved in subsequent documents and require a future affirmative council vote.
