Envy Apartment

At the ribbon cutting this month for the Wesley Village affordable housing complex in Garden Grove, Laura Archuleta couldn ’t resist referencing Joni Mitchell ’s 1970 environmental protest “Big Yellow Taxi.” Built on underused land that’s part of the Garden Grove United Methodist Church campus on Main Street, Wesley Village offered Archuleta , president of the nonprofit community organization Jamboree Housing Corp ., a chance to riff on one of Mitchell’s most famous lyrics. Where Mitchell sang “They paved paradise/And put up a parking lot,” Archuleta told about 300 people packed into the steamy church sanctuary on a hot afternoon that “Today we are going to learn how a group of dedicated organizations and individuals re-purposed a parking lot and put up a paradise.” Then she and others who spoke, including a single mom with six children who now reside at Wesley Village , told how the project became reality through a unique collaboration that involved the church, Jamboree and other...

Las Brisas affordable -housing community contains approximately 160 rental units , varying in size and number of bedrooms.</strong>" title="Las Brisas 1" width="400" height="300" class="size-full wp-image-16158" /> Cory Bilicko/Signal Tribune Signal Hill’s Las Brisas affordable -housing community contains approximately 160 rental units , varying in size and number of bedrooms. Nick Diamantides Staff Writer Approximately five years after the completion of the Las Brisas affordable -housing community in Signal Hill, programs offered at the site are still succeeding in improving the lives of the people who live there. The project was developed in two phases under the auspices of Los Angeles- based Abode Communities with funding from the now- defunct Signal Hill Redevelopment Agency , as well as financial assistance from other public and private sector entities . According to Robin Hughes, president of Abode Communities , Las Brisas c...

Arapahoe County Foundation fund for Southview Apartment Fire Victims established LITTLETON , CO — A fund has been established through the Arapahoe County Foundation to assist victims of the Southview Place Towers Apartments fire that occurred on April 6 in the 5800 block of S. Windermere St. More than 130 senior citizens have been displaced by the fire and although all are now in housing, the crisis is far from over and many of the current housing solutions are temporary. Residents were informed this week that their leases will be terminated and they will not be able to return to their apartments due to smoke and asbestos damage. Additionally, some residents were told that they must pack and move all of their furnishings and belongings within the next 10 days, and others were told that they could never retrieve their items due to contamination. Many of these seniors have lived here for years and lack the financial resources to cope with this disaster. Arapahoe County Commissione...

Juan Parras gives one hell of a tour of Houston’s east side. He’s charming and funny. Wearing a beret, he strikes an old-world look, like he might lead you to a cafe on a plaza. He doesn’t charge a fee for his services. After all, you’re on a “toxic tour,” and Parras is on a mission. Parras grew up in 1950s West Texas . He remembers segregated schools, the restaurants that wouldn’t serve him, the unpaved roads, and the people who lived closest to the local refinery . Those experiences led him to a career as a social justice advocate . The resident of Houston’s heavily industrial east side has worked in a city housing department , for a union, for a law clinic, and on a campaign that stopped a PVC factory from being built in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.” For the last decade, he has served as executive director of Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (better known as t.e.j.a.s.). Part of his work is leading tours past the heaping piles of scrap metal along Houston’s Buffalo Ba...

Collect this idea Rooftop lounge at The Dylan in West Hollywood As the second-largest city in the U.S. with the biggest population in California, Los Angeles has mountains, beaches and deserts all within a short driving distance . In addition to a multitude of outdoor activities, L.A. offers job opportunities galore ; its diverse economy is the third largest in the world, after Tokyo and New York. Some of L.A.’s biggest industries include culture , fashion, education, sports, entertainment, medicine and a booming startup tech field that is thriving on the Westside ( nicknamed Silicon Beach ). Los Angeles is often called the creative capital of the world , as one in six residents works in the creative industries of music, TV or film. Not surprisingly, the city has a thriving arts scene . There are more than 800 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County —   more per person than any other city in the world. And for night owls, the nightclub and restaurant scene offers plenty of...