A major goal for the Mayor and City Council is to utilize the Fontana Housing Authority to reduce crime, revitalize selected multi-family properties, and to create additional affordable housing units. In 2008, evidence of this effort was unveiled with the Laurel Woods Complex which became a model for similar projects that followed.

Laurel Woods

One of nine projects, Laurel Woods has set the bar high for the Housing Authority redevelopment program.

Located in a quiet area east of downtown, Laurel Woods was often visited by the police as the epicenter for suspicious gang activity, graffiti and more. Recurring visits from law enforcement agencies, blight, and the possibility of negatively impacting the lives of children all play major roles in the Housing Authority’s decision to renovate a building.

“Today, that 68 unit complex [Laurel Woods] is a safe haven for the families who live there,” says Mayor Mark Nuaimi, adding “A facility that required 301 calls for police service is now down to 44 calls and many of those calls are proactive calls from residents who care about their community.”

The Learning Services Center

Amidst fog and drizzling rain, the dedication ceremony to Laurel Woods in September 2007 could not have been more symbolic. Leaving behind the drab cold, one stepped into a room filled with warmth, comfort, community, and safety.

The walls of the Learning Services Center are painted in rich tones and a comfortable reading area and a large cushioned sofa provides a welcoming atmosphere for a casual conversation or book loving guest. Further along the tiled floors are seven computers in a quiet room waiting for students to explore the world of technology, conduct research, or complete a homework assignment.

This is the hub where students gather and find after school assistance from an onsite coordinator employed by Quality Management Group. The coordinator engages the students in fun activities that introduce cultural arts and health and wellness learning.

“The on-site community center offers after school programming averaging 35 kids a day with 75 total served from that complex,” adds Mayor Nuaimi.

“We came into this community with high hopes and dreams of becoming a vital part of seeing the community change for the better,” says Sherry Johnson, Learning Center program director. “My staff and I have provided daily homework assistance, mentoring, prevention, creative arts, healthy living and family resource programs. The Learning Center is vital in enabling us to work together to create a healthy community.”

Would tearing the place down be easier?

“Laurel Woods, while suffering from extensive interior and exterior deferred maintenance from its previous owners, was a structurally sound and desirable property. By substantially rehabilitating the property we were able to provide a very nice living environment at a substantial cost savings as opposed to tearing down and rebuilding,” says Brent Mickey, Housing Development Manger.

The idea behind the multi-family unit renovations is to help give citizens the tools and resources to motivate them to attain a higher standard of living than what they have become accustomed. Tearing down the building and constructing something new would not have the same effect for residents and would have been a waste of materials when conservation or recycling are just as economical.

How is it done?

The city purchases the land and then contracts with an outside management company. The latter then agrees to ground lease the property for a period of years. A high percentage of any/all residual rent receipts are payable to the Housing Authority as ground rent.

The Housing Authority works with contracted services for construction which includes façade improvement or repair. Amenities include kitchens with energy saving appliances, flooring, improved pool, landscaping and a central Learning Services Center.

Ceres Project

In September, the Fontana Housing Authority opened the doors of its next great accomplishment, the Ceres Court Apartments.

Ceres, like Laurel Woods, had a recorded problem with crime. The first phase of the project was to renovate the existing apartments to have an immediate impact on current residents. Due to the need for very-low income housing, the Fontana Housing Authority purchased the adjoining property and former home of the 2D’s Trailer Park, and began to build more apartments.

Ceres Court Apartments

The construction includes twenty, high quality, town home-style rental housing units, detached garages, a learning/resident services center and additional recreational areas that include basketball court, barbeques, and a tot lot.

Housing with Heart, an affiliate of Jamboree Housing Corporation (JHC) a non-profit public benefit housing development corporation, will hire and train a resident coordinator who will serve as the after school/learning center facilitator. Tutoring, orientations, recreation programs, and adult educational workshops will all be the responsibility of the coordinator.

“The Ceres Court resident services center and the coordinator of such will be similar to the other two centers. This center will service both the 20 new units, as well as the existing 43 units of the adjacent Ceres Avenue multi-family property,” adds Mickey, “The Ceres properties will have resident services provided by Housing with Heart, an affiliate of Jamboree Housing Corporation.”

The results are already evident. Many resident windows now boast involvement in fighting crime with neighborhood watch stickers and the learning center encourages both children and adults to excel. With the help of 8 new Dell™ computers, parents and youth will soon be working on ESL, GEDs and more. Meanwhile in the Kid’s Center there is plenty of activity. There are stations for painting, drawing, or games, and there is an encouraging poster on the wall that reads: be kind and use kind words, be helpful, and respect the thought and feelings of others. Such encouragement of growth and tolerance will transform lives.

As one aging resident said, “Before, I would only go outside between 9 and 10 am. Today, the fear is gone. I can sit outside well into evening. It’s okay to be outside. Everything is better, especially for the children.”

Ceres Court Apartments

The Fontana City Council and Housing Authority plan to take on no more than one redevelopment project per year but there is help for those who manage or live in multi-family housing units.

The City of Fontana Police Department offers services that train or inform multi-family unit housing representatives and residents.

The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is a three phase certification program for apartment and mobile home park communities. Managers, leasing staff, and maintenance personnel may register to receive an 8 hour program from police department personnel, city personnel, and other agencies. The goal at the end of the program is to have provided all participants with an easy yet very effective guideline for reducing criminal activity in rental properties. The last training date for 2008 is Thursday, November 6. Please call Ernestine Jones at (909) 428-0359 for more information.

The Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) program includes an evaluation of all new plans for construction by the Fontana Police Department. CPTED promotes safer more livable communities and encourages people to familiarize themselves with their neighbors and surrounding community. The goal is to create a proactive crime prevention approach. For more information or to arrange an inspection, please call Wendy Felshaw at (909) 356-7159.

Neighborhood Watch programs are found everywhere in Fontana. Join your local group or create one of your own. Call Amber Smith at (909) 350-7710 for more information or attend a quarterly neighborhood meeting to learn the crime statistics in your area. The next session begins Monday, October 20. Please visit online at www.fontanapd.org or check the Community Services Fall Activities, Services and Program Guide for times and locations.