Listen here:
The Morongo Basin Conservation Association, established in 1969 with a small group of residents, began a long history of advocating for the desert community and the environment. The January 21 Annual Meeting, led by President Steve Bardwell, was dedicated to finding solutions for affordable housing, a larger-than-life problem facing the Morongo Basin.
The MBCA meeting hosted speakers and representatives from the County, local governments, local businesses, and non-profit Organizations. The topics presented ranged from the current housing conditions, the contributing factors to the shortage, and how this problem affects different groups. In addition, each speaker gave an overview of the problem, details of existing conditions, and future solutions from their perspective.
Who attended the meeting
The renowned speakers present or on video were San Bernardino County Chairman of the Board and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe, Twentynine Palms City Manager Frank Luckino, and Yucca Valley Town Manager Curtis Yakimow, who shared current efforts and plans for combating housing concerns in their communities.
Also at the event were Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith, Copper Mountain College President Daren Otten, and Colonel Matt Bain from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, who presented their experience of housing difficulties for their constituencies and efforts to resolve the problem.
Astrid Johnson of Morongo Basin ARCH, a non-profit (Aligning Resources, Challenging Homelessness), and Wayne Hamilton of the Morongo Unified School District also spoke about working with homeless and unhoused populations and, in particular, the complexities and downward spiral facing children and their families when a family is evicted due to house sale or turning a house into a Vacation rental.
Also at the meeting were David Daniels, Director, Maintenance and Operations Morongo United School District (MUSD), Peter Spurr, Realtor from Joshua Tree Realty, Jennifer Shaumyan (via video), owner of Affordable rentals, and Monique Reza-Arellano (via video), from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.
Addressing the lack of housing in the Morongo Basin
The meeting opened with MBCA President Steve Bardwell addressing the packed room with the purpose of this forum and an overview. First, Bardwell said “the Morongo Basin Community needs to address the lack of housing, particularly for low-income, homeless seniors and veterans.” Bardwell also stressed balancing jobs and housing and protecting the vulnerable environment. Finally, Bardwell emphasized it will take the Community to shift the housing inequality. “We,” Bardwell said, “envisioned today’s meeting as a part of this public planning project.”
The public planning project begins with a discourse and dialogue on housing and includes planners and partners such as Marine Service Providers, realtors, lenders, the school district, Copper Mountain College, local church groups, law enforcement, and the government. Bardwell continued, “We’re looking at this program [sic] as an opportunity to create Community. “
Monique Reza-Arellano, a Public Policy and Government Relations representative for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, spoke of the benefits of partnering with the San Bernardino County Regional Housing Trust, which will enable local governments to compete for state funds.
David Daniels, Director of Maintenance and Operations of the Morongo Basin Unified School District (MUSD), and Wayne Hamilton, Community Outreach Coordinators of MUSD, spoke of the problems confronting school-age children and their families faced with evictions due to increased rental prices and increased house sales promoted by the short-term vacation rental boom. Daniels, an advocate of rental caps and public housing, said the high cost of medical insurance contributes to rising construction costs. Daniels’ proposed to the crowd the need for big-picture solutions. Big-picture thinking, he said, will create the needed paradigm shift.
Some of the important points brought up at the meeting:
- Homelessness created by rent increases and evictions
- Rental costs
- House sales
- Impact of short-term rentals on Community, including community services and quality of life
- Low availability of low-income housing for vulnerable groups
- San Bernardino County Regional Housing Trust, which will enable the Community to compete for state funds.
- Repurposing existing structures for housing
- Considering the cost to the environment when planning new housing
- Scale and balance and protecting the planet
- Reasonable application of environmental regulations
- Incentivized development versus people coming in and buying new tracts of land that are undisturbed
- How local governments can remove regulation barriers from appropriate development
- Education – How to we make affordable housing attractive to the Community
- Considering local environments when planning new housing projects
The State of California requires local governments to create plans which meet current housing needs and serve as a blueprint for community’s long-term vision for the future. Within this General Plan, there must be a housing element that contains an analysis of existing and projected housing needs. There must also be an attempt to meet these housing needs.
San Bernardino has initiated a study to determine short-term rentals current and projected impact on the housing supply. This study is known as “Program 4.” MBCA advocates forming a “Program 4” study community advisory committee to take an in-depth community-specific look at these complex issues.
MBCA recommends that the “Program 4” study include the following:
- Local short-term Rental Management Companies and STR Owners
- Local Business Owners, Realtors, Motel and Hotel owners
- Local Neighborhood Residents
- Local housing, homeless families, and foster youth service providers
- Local Community and Environmental Groups
- Local School Districts and Community Colleges
- Local Military Bases, National Parks, and Monuments
- Local Agencies such as the Water District
Additionally, answers for the housing crises include collaborations created between the outgoing Superintendent of the Joshua Tree National Park, David Smith, and President Darren Otten of Copper Mountain College. Superintendent Smith has long recognized the need for affordable housing for park rangers whose income does not match the salary requirements for housing in the High Desert. As a result, Smith has been working with President Otten to create a contractor’s curriculum that will serve the housing shortage in the park and provide jobs for local contractors.
Looking toward solutions
Monique Reza-Arellano, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, addressed the work to create a regional housing trust that can bring outside dollars to this region. Reza-Arellano said she was looking at ways to potentially increase and preserve an existing affordable housing supply by rehabbing existing buildings that would be eligible under the Trust.
She is also looking at providing financial relief for vulnerable and cost-burdened households and protecting them against displacement and poor housing conditions. She said they are building the Housing Trust by identifying the member agencies through our Council of Governments and the Transportation Authority. Once that is in place, State, Federal, and Private donations will fund the Trust.
Steve Bardwell was encouraged by the turnout and hopeful this meeting is a building tool and a new beginning for a vital, informed, and active community that can solve a complex problem with forethought and partnership.
The meeting was packed with essential facts and ideas. Z107.7 will continue to bring you updates and critical information to keep you informed.
