Housing Authority announces resident office hours, flood‑assistance resources and Union Tower leasing

At the Oct. 20 meeting, Angelita Palma, community development manager for the National City Housing Authority, told the Housing Advisory Committee that the authority has posted resident resources and flyers citywide and holds office hours on the first Tuesday and third Wednesday of each month from 5–7 p.m. at City Hall to answer housing questions from residents, landlords and businesses.

Palma said the Housing Authority is sharing state flood‑assistance resources for homeowners affected by the 2024 floods, including mortgage assistance for up to three months on a first‑come, first‑served basis and forthcoming rehabilitation assistance; residents were advised to sign up on the Housing Authority web page to receive updates. She also reported Union Tower Apartments (located near 23rd and D/F streets) are about 77% complete and will include a local‑preference leasing policy prioritizing National City residents for available units.

Commissioners and staff asked follow‑up questions about nonprofit partnerships (Red Cross engagement during emergencies), emergency operations staffing and the Housing Authority’s work with contracted housing resource officers. The committee expressed appreciation for Palma’s outreach work and for maintaining resources and flyers in City Hall.

Why it matters: Residents were given concrete steps to access assistance (office hours and web signups) and were updated on a new low‑income rental project coming online with local preference for residents.

Next steps: Housing Authority staff said they will bring further updates to the advisory committee in the new year and continue outreach for flood‑related resources.