The Raincross Gazette hosted candidate forums for Wards 2, 4 and 6 last month, asking all candidates the same questions on affordable housing and Riverside's neighborhood character.
Moderator Dan Bernstein, a former Press-Enterprise columnist and longtime Riversider, posed this question to candidates at all three forums:
The state is pushing cities to build more housing – not just affordable housing but housing in general. Homes and apartments. But Riverside has issued permits for less than 20% of the units the state says it needs. Yet, residents across the city worry about what growth is doing to their neighborhoods. More density. More traffic. More corporate-owned rentals. And less of what made them choose to live here in the first place.
How do you strike a balance between these two competing interests? Where can housing be added in your ward, and which neighborhoods would be most severely and unfairly disrupted by new residential construction?
Ward 2
Nonprofit director and Budget Commissioner Aram Ayra, entrepreneur and Planning Commissioner Christen Montero, Western Municipal Water District Director Gracie Torres and financial and IT consultant Mike Vahl are running for the Ward 2 seat soon to be vacated by Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, who is running for state Assembly.
Ward 2 covers neighborhoods including Eastside, Canyon Crest, Mission Grove, Sycamore Canyon and the University District.
Ayra: "First and foremost, we have about 389 units of housing in the pipeline through 2028 from the last report at the [Budget Engagement Commission]. These are all types of affordable, not affordable, any kind of housing units.
At the same time, we have more than 3,000 housing units that are owned by private equity companies and hedge fund companies, just in the city of Riverside. Many of these houses are actually rentals. They're not homes. They've been taken off of the market, and we've allowed Wall Street to boss around our housing policy and our housing stock.
So on day one, something that I would be doing is tracking and assessing which of these houses are owned by private equity companies, assessing a fee and making sure that money goes towards our local Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is currently majorly underfunded and we can't even offer incentives to affordable housing developers that want to build.
I would prioritize building along University Avenue. It's already zoned R-4, it's near a lot of transit corridors, and this is something that we don't have to shove into a single family community. I know a lot of people are concerned about Canyon Crest and University and other spaces, where they've seen the impact of the housing cut ups, and they've seen the impact of having large apartments with no plans for traffic or any of that management, so we need to be smart about it.
The University Avenue Specific Plan hasn't been updated over 20 years. It's outdated. It's not matching the needs that we have. That would be, for me, a day one issue that I would take on and really promote and try to build along University Avenue so that Ward 2 at least could meet our quota, and then work with the other boards to see what we could do there."
Montero: "Yes, I would agree, and on May 2, there's a General Plan update that all of you can attend. It is open to the public, so if you haven't heard about it yet, that's your time to actually share what you think should be done in your board. Specifically, I think also…we have a lot of missing middle class housing.
So even though we're seeing a lot of multi-unit housing, there's a lot of us who want to own homes [and] there's no homes to own. Maybe there's some land available, but there's a lot of land right now that's tied up in the city for different reasons. I think there also needs to be a land trust that's developed within our own city – one that's not just a separate sector, but its own organization, because it has been a proven model, and right now, the only one that exists is the Inland Empire Land Trust.
Having something for our city of our size is usually something that a city like ours would have, because it enables and allows the flexibility and getting rid of some of the red tape and fighting of different organizations and the bureaucracy that happens when it comes to developing housing as well. I think the Quality Inn project should have happened when it comes to University Terrace, because that would have provided a lot of housing for the homeless we see on the streets right now. And that's something that also, like we mentioned before, has to get cleaned up."
Torres: "You know, I've worked in government for over 10 years now, and one thing that we don't realize is that we get in our own way when it comes to growth. And in this case, … one of the things that matters to me is seeing things moving faster and streamlining processes – whether that's at the permitting phase or supporting legislation that tightens the CEQA timelines, and those are policies that we can actually implement and that we can actually work on as a council.
Sometimes we really talk about state mandates like we're the ones making these mandates. We still have local controls when it comes to jurisdiction and land use authority, and we need to use those to create infill, to do adaptive reuse projects and to become a city that builds in diversity, but also makes it easier, right?
Housing developers don't really want to come to the city of Riverside. I've talked to plenty of them, they're like, well, it takes too long to build in the city of Riverside. So it is incumbent upon us to create those incentives [to get] out of our own way.
The state is creating enough barriers for growth, for development, for businesses – we shouldn't be adding…adding more roadblocks when it comes to those things, the way we're going to meet those mandates is by getting out of our own way."
Bernstein asked a follow-up question to Ward 2 candidates:
Are there neighborhoods in Ward 2 besides University Avenue that are ripe for this kind of development?
Vahl: "Actually, Ward 2 goes [from] Chicago to the university. So really, it's all commercial right there. It's all built.
So without knocking down buildings, there's really no residential in University for Ward 2. There may be room for a couple of houses, but that would be really about it being put back by the old Cask 'n Cleaver or something, but I think that's all zone commercial. That's not residential back there.
But as Gracie said, the city is part of our problem. I personally called down there to get a permit to change a power box in our house. They told me, in six weeks at least to get a permit. Well, they used to be able to go down there, fill it out, go to lunch, come back and get your permit. That's ridiculous. Then they said it'll be a minimum of two weeks to …I said I'm in the middle of a housing remodel. I can't wait eight weeks. But that's what the city does to us.
So getting people in there and getting our customer service better, quicker. Developers hate this. We've got people that take three years to submit a plan, and it costs them a half a million dollars. It's ridiculous. The fees they charge to start building houses and apartments is $50,000 to $70,000 a door before you put one stick of 2-by-4 up to nail something…"
Ayra: "University Avenue, definitely zone R-4. Just saying. I could check the maps all the way down through Chicago and further.
And if anyone's driven down University Avenue lately, it looks bummed out. Apart from a couple of nice developments that have happened, there's just empty plots of land waiting to be built on.
The other thing that I would definitely prioritize – you know, I'm gonna I'm an alumni of this university. I love UCR, but we need to get UCR to build more student housing on campus.
The students have spilled over into the University community. I know many of you have talked about that. I live in the University community, so I've seen both sides. I was a student and I'm now a resident and been a renter in the University neighborhood for 12 years.
Now, we need to be able to build more housing on campus. I believe that the current number was about 40, maybe 50% of students housed on campus. The rest of them in the communities – and I was a student, I have all love for them, but they create a lot of noise disturbances, problems and other things.
And they take away houses that could be starter homes for people, and turn them into forever rentals by folks that don't even live – not only in the city, but sometimes in the state, sometimes in the country…"
Torres: "I just want to note that the Hunter Hobby industrial area is very neglected in Ward 2, unfortunately, and that's what I'm hearing as we're knocking on doors. Perfect opportunity for growth.
Probably the only place where real growth can happen is still in that Hunter Hobby area, and so that would be one of it by where I live, and I want to make sure that they don't continue to feel like no one's listening to them."
Ward 4
Incumbent Chuck Conder, local business owner Jessica Qattawi and local business owner Rich Vandenberg are vying for the Ward 4 council seat.
Ward 4 covers neighborhoods including Alessandro Heights, Mission Grove, Orangecrest and the Greenbelt, which became a part of Ward 4 during redistricting in 2023 – meaning many residents in this area will be voting in a Ward 4 race for the first time this year.
Vandenberg: "I'm a big fan of adaptive reuse, where we can take an old building that's not being used or reuse it for housing things of that nature.
I'm a big fan of adaptive reuse, so I'm also a fan of thoughtful infill. And I say thoughtful because that's the key. I'm not for subdividing parcels in the green belt. Neighborhood character is a huge thing for me, and I do not want to interrupt the character of neighborhoods when we do infill. We've got existing infrastructure, we've got the road, we've got the streets, got the street signs, the sidewalks."
Conder: "What's ruining Riverside are the nutballs up in Sacramento. First they authorized us to put ADUs in. These neighborhoods weren't built for that kind of water, electric use, sewer use. Now you have seven, eight, nine cars at a house. They're all over the streets. That is doing damage to our neighborhoods.
The RHNA number is – if you don't know what they are, that's the regional housing assessment that we are given by Sacramento – all they ask us to do, and this is what people misunderstand, is to identify where we could put housing and build 18,000 housing units by 2029. That doesn't mean you have to build them…
Mr. Buster here lives in the green belt. If he wanted to sell his property, we can't force him to have houses built on it. That is not the American way. We are building houses…as fast as we can. You cannot force a developer to build low-income housing. He's not gonna build if he can't make money. That is not America. You're not gonna force a man to build housing he's gonna lose money on…We've hired additional plan checkers to make things faster because time is money. [So] when a developer comes in, he can get his stuff out of there faster."
Qattawi: "Stop hiring planners and let's put that money toward actual good use for the community. And I just wanted to correct you, it's by 2028 since you always like to correct everybody else – RHNA is required by 2028.
Riverside County has to have 42,000 homes built, in Riverside we're required to build 18,000. Do you guys know how many we've built so far? Think it's like 42. Out of 18,000 – that's ridiculous. What are we doing here?
So my idea is – I grew up with my mom having a business connected to our home, and I would love to see that kind of structure built in. You know, where they want to put the warehouses right next to the Grove Church? Maybe we could put like a shopping [center] where there could be little restaurants, because I know that a lot of the residents are looking for more places to go. We're so tired of leaving our area.
But above [that] would be housing. So growing up going from being in the house and being able to go see my mom where she's working, that would be a great situation. So I'd love to see something like that in ward 4 – a mixed-use property.
But we gotta do something because if we don't the state is gonna come in and they're gonna decide what to do with our land, and they're gonna tell us where we have to build affordable housing, and so on and so forth."
Conder: "So [RHNA deadline] is by Jan. 1, 2029 and I'll give every moment to the builders to do what they can until 2029."
Bernstein asked a follow-up question to Ward 4 candidates:
Where in your ward can you envision housing being built in this city?
Conder: "Dauchy [Avenue] and Ferrari [Drive], I met with the developer last week."
Qattawi: "Developers are getting all our money by the way."
Ward 6
Oz Puerta, executive director of the Arlington Business Partnership, Luis Hernandez, vice chair of the Board of Ethics, and Alvord Unified School District Board of Education Trustee Norma Berrellez are vying for the seat vacated by Councilmember Jim Perry, who announced last year that he is not running for reelection.
Berrellez, however, was not in attendance at the April 30 Ward 6 forum.
Ward 6 covers neighborhoods including Arlanza, La Sierra, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South and portions of Arlington.
Puerta: "So I believe there's a balanced approach to housing. There's just as much a need for market rate housing as there is for affordable housing. And I'll tell you why. Simple as, businesses don't come here out of compassion. What they do is they do their homework. They make sure that they are sustainable, that they put themselves in the right environment. And what that happens when we have a vibrant business community, it means we have more taxpayer dollars to spend on things like new firefighters, new fire stations. So the market rate and affordable housing needs to have a balanced approach.
Next, where are we going to build? We need to accommodate 18,000 units by 2029. So there are certain areas…in Banbury Drive, there's a lot right there. I think it's destined for some housing units. I think it'd be a good spot.
Building alongside our corridors, smart building, places where our infrastructure needs won't be overburdened. Places where we don't establish different elements of housing in established neighborhoods. There's space, there's room. We have it in ward six. We just have to be smart about it."
Hernandez: "So when we talk about the future and when it comes to these mandates, obviously I disagree with the mandates. I do want more housing, but I don't think the state should come down and tell cities how much and where and how. If we don't start to build some of this housing, obviously that's a situation that we could put ourselves in.
We've already tried a balanced approach and it's not working. When it comes to what's going on with the economy, what's going on with our residents. This is what happens, is working families are often the backbone of a community and then costs rise, the price of housing rises, and then they get pushed out. I want to prevent that from happening and we need to focus on more affordable housing.
For all individuals here, our working families, individuals, our seniors, our individuals who are unhoused or living out of their vehicles – if we don't take focus and make sure that we focus on more affordable housing rather than market rate and above – there's already a complex over here on Tyler that's gone unfinished, [and] that's what's going to happen when we focus on continuing more market rate housing and apartment complexes that people can't afford.
There needs to be a lot of forethought and planning put into this before we just, well, let's make it all mixed and hope it works out.
We need to focus on trends and what's going on with our city at the moment. And if our council and those who are elected can't realize that a lot of our residents are struggling right now, I don't know what to tell you. This is why it's important to take note of what the individual is running on and what their focus is."
Bernstein asked a follow-up question to Ward 6 candidates:
When I came to Riverside 50 years ago, I rented a house on Wood Street for $300 a month. So my wife and I always assumed that we would own a house someday. And sure enough, we bought a house, and sitting here and listening to your backstory that you and your wife are paying $3,000 a month to rent, what does this say about the American dream of homeownership? How does reality intersect with what your dreams are in terms of housing?
Hernandez: "So what you're saying is we need a time machine. I'm starting to feel like I'm a talk show.
So unfortunately it is becoming just a dream. It's, you know, when owning a home costs more than what two combined salaries can bring in, there's no amount of financial teaching and financial responsibility that can get you that home.
The reality is that things are so expensive that it's making it incredibly difficult for so many of our residents to even think about buying a home. When I go talking to residents, even the homeowners are ... I have 20- and 30-year-olds who can't afford to move out. They want to live their best lives. The [parents] already brought up their kids. They can't [move out].
And that's the reality that we're dealing with on top of the rising cost of food, gas, services and products – it's just starting to get overwhelming for a lot of our residents who make, even five years ago, what would have been considered a decent income. That's just not a reality anymore."
Puerta: "So I think reality is what you make of it. Life is hard. No one said it was going to be easy. I'm a first generation citizen. My family struggled a lot. My parents worked every day, day and night to make sure that we didn't have anything missing, and we still lost our home in '08. We still lived in a van. We had to rely on our neighbors to take showers. We've seen that.
But I'm here before you today. I'm ready for city council. I'm the executive director of the Arlington Business Partnership. I looked for opportunities when they didn't come to my door. I think at a council level, we work on creating more of those opportunities. We set up the right environment. We bring in the right industries. We set up the right businesses. We make sure we build the right type of housing.
I'm not going to talk about what my housing payments are every month, but I'm an investor. I have real estate. I did it all by myself. I didn't wait for someone to come and save me. I think that life is hard. Of course, life is hard, but I think that there are opportunities here, just like the Riverside Auto Center. They told me that they're struggling to hire technicians at $70 an hour. Jobs are here, opportunities are here.
We need to make sure that we align our youth with opportunities that are available and bring in more opportunities based on what our college students are studying right now."
