A federal discrimination lawsuit alleging unlawful housing practices in Encinitas has expanded to include more defendants and allegations related to the controversial sales of at least two designated affordable single-family homes to wealthy investors, according to court documents filed last week.
The amended complaint, filed on Nov. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, alleges the city approved the sales of two affordable homes — 1317 Portola Road and 1412 Mackinnon Avenue — to pre-determined, non-qualified investors instead of qualified, very-low-income applicants in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination fair housing laws.
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“The City of Encinitas has not only had full knowledge that these developers have been selling the designated affordable homes to private wealthy investors, blatantly discriminating against selling to these protected classes, but the City themselves worked with the developers to create the vehicle for these developers to do so the way they crafted their affordable housing regulatory agreements,” the complaint reads.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Federal fair housing lawsuit against city expands
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Republican or Democrat....It's always about the money from the donor class. If Republicans ran this state do you honestly think this bullshit would be any different?
ReplyDeleteDeafening silence from the equity crowd. Posted on 2 Verdu-owned sites, his members are stepping around it like the proverbial turd on the sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteSo funny to imagine the cognitive dissonance produced by their fearless leader Blakespear being mixed up in this illegal slam against the less fortunate.
And jeepers, where is her bff attorney friend Gonzalez while all this is going down? Still muzzled nice and tight?
Blakespear and Marco Gonzales conspiring - fixing the system for their wealthy donors to gain their "$upport". They both need to be run out of town, figuratively speaking.
ReplyDeleteOr actually.
DeleteGonzales, wearing his ridiculous Carlos Santana fedora, will join his son on an electric bike and terrorize the town!
DeleteChico and the Punk.
DeleteThe City should not bear the cost of this litigation - it is malfeasance on the part of city officials. They should not be indemnified personally - Blakespear should be investigated by the District Attorney for violations of the law and removed from office.
ReplyDeleteThe "professional staff" needs to go. This starts with the City Manager who was paid to leave by her former employers, Lilian Doherty, Roy, Nicole Piano Jones and Jennifer Gates. They were all involved or managed those who were. They suck and they need to leave.
DeleteThey need to be prosecuted and never again hold a job where taxpayers foot their salaries.
DeleteEncinitas should revoke its City Charter and disincorporate.
ReplyDeleteRemember that this is the tip of the iceberg. Here is what Marco said about this deal:
ReplyDelete"Marco Gonzalez, the attorney for the Desert Rose/Loden developers weighed in. After denying any involvement in this deal Gonzalez said, “So, the builder sold the unit to an LLC that owns/manages both market rate and affordable units all over the region. And this is surprising why?”
And developers are still hiring Gonzalez why??
Gonzalez was the developer of choice for the worst of the worst but may have turned himself into a liability even with that crowd. Have to wonder if his managing partner appreciates the loose cannon personality. Time will tell whether he strays too far outside the legal gray areas.
DeleteJust so we're clear, again, while I understand the arguments in favor of building generational wealth through for-sale affordable units, and even support them in some circumstances (condos, townhouses, smaller for-sale SFRs) I still continue to point out there are competing and equally compelling policy reasons to allow for the maintenance of these medium to larger SFR properties as long term affordable rental units. Why is it that none of you hyping up this lawsuit are willing to engage in this side of the policy debate? Disingenuous much?
ReplyDeleteAnd regarding the substance of the lawsuit, I think the plaintiffs have a very steep hill to climb to prove that the City did anything illegal by allowing the sale of these units to investor/managers. As I've previously pointed out, the potentially problematic issue in the lawsuit is the allegation that the City has not sufficiently tracked compliance with required covenants of affordable units post-construction. Like many, I'll be curious to see the evidence on this issue.
And finally, this broken record nonsense about someone in my firm having an issue with my positions, clients, or participation in public discourse around housing, while laughable, sure does show how little you know about CLG!
As you've complained in the past, tongues wag. But contrary to your complaints, it seems that in your particular case folks lean toward the "where there's smoke, there's fire" assumptions.
DeleteGonzo appears to be attempting damage control for himself and the mayor.
DeleteYou're the guy who screamed about discrimination against brown people but now you're saying it's OK for the city to ignore ~80 qualified low-income applicants in favor of wealthy investors? Really?
DeletePeople know plenty about CLG, as it happens.
DeleteSo engage us Marco. It's not that some of us don't understand, it's that we don't agree. Please explain why for medium and large sfr's, it's better to have corporate landlords than it is to have owner occupied. Go.
DeleteBeing that CLG has no issues with your hypocrisy and oscillating self serving legal opinions, it is clear there is an overall ethical deficiency in the group.
Delete6:02 - With the construction of new higher density multi-family rental projects under the new housing element, there is a maximum average size restriction of 1,000 sq. ft. These are typically not sized for larger families requiring three or more bedrooms. Creating rental stock among the deed restricted affordable medium and larger SFRs addresses this issue (albeit, admittedly there are not enough units to truly make a dent).
DeleteSo Marco, your firm doesn't have a problem with your "discourse" around housing? What about all the other issues you mouth off about? You're not as sly as you think. Should we take that as a Yes, your firm's managing partner has a big issue with your non-housing "discourse" as you try to politely characterize your typical communications? Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteFair Housing ????? Life anin't fair...get over it.
ReplyDeleteName me one low income person that can afford to buy a house in Encinitas...just one. It's all bullshit.
These are the leftist feel good about yourself clowns
The same clowns that moved near the train tracks and complain about the train whistle. Idiots
DeleteDealing in facts: there is a law, whether it should exist or not is moot. Under the mayor's watchful eye city staff have appear to have "interpreted" the law to pay favors to wealthy investors. How mixed up in the shenanigans Gonzalez actually is remains to be seen.
Delete7:46 That you repeat your comment doesn't make it less stupid. And the trains don't whistle. They blast very loud horns.
Delete5:33pm- agreed. 7:46am appears to be a highest ranked town idiot. The tracks are fine. Its the polluting and wasteful Coaster and Amtrack service that need to go.
DeleteThis is will a very good discovery in the shady and scam type dealing the City of Enc carries out housing law.
ReplyDeleteAt the very least it's terribly unethical and at the most it is downright criminal.
This lawsuit is a good thing as the kimono will opened for all to see no matter the outcome.
Anyone who claims that is not a good thing is a grifter type - pure and simple.
It should also pointed out the virtue signaling bullshit the Mayor and her cohorts spout out daily will be shown for what it really is - complete and total bullshit
ReplyDeleteLike no natural gas in new home construction. Another fraud. There is no such thing as "fossil" fuel. That has been a lie for decades.
Delete8:46 Ignorance and stupidity are your strong suit.
Delete12:36...so, instead of trying to prove me wrong, you simply call me names. Let me repeat, fossil fuels is lie.
DeleteAnd, no matter how many names you call me, fossil fuel is still a lie. Do some reading.
Ignorance and stupidity are not names. They're your characteristics. Tell us how oil is not a fossil fuel.
Delete1:03, you are the one making the claim oil comes from fossils. Next you will make the claim oil comes from dinosaurs. Like they used to teach in school during the 60's. Then the claim was made we are running out of oil, another lie. Next you will claim seas are raising.
Delete6:01 Your idiocy is not worthy of debate.
DeleteVote for anyone other than Blakespear for State Senate. She needs to be permanently retired from any political position.
ReplyDeleteMarco's clients who are such "good guys" are getting sued!
ReplyDeleteDeleting their social media accounts left and right like they can hide!
DeleteFingers crossed they name names and tell tales to save their sorry butts and let's see then whether Gonzalez comes out smelling like the rose he claims to be.
Another great EG:
ReplyDeleteEncinitas Reserves Affordable Housing for Rich Investors
Scrooge McDuck and Milburn Pennybags were among the rich investors who bought affordable housing units in Encinitas with the city’s approval.
The city must give equal opportunity when considering approval of affordable housing sales. It is bound by law to consider rich investors as well as qualified low-income applicants.
The city’s Equity Committee, which is run with unimpeachable integrity by Mayor Catherine Blakespear and Councilwoman Kellie Hinze, approved affordable housing sales to McDuck and Pennybags, among others.
“After all,” said Blakespear, “rich outsiders like McDuck and Pennybags invest in equities, which is what our Equity Committee is all about.”
Striving to meet the state’s affordable housing mandate, the city encourages developers to build 15 to 20% of its projects as affordable units that match Housing and Urban Development (HUD) income figures.
To complete the circle, the affordable units must be rented by or sold to low or very low income earners. Despite having many applicants who qualified to buy units by virtue of their income, the city instead approved sales to rich investors. State law requires those investors to rent the units to qualified renters at HUD’s affordable rates for at least 55 years.
Monitoring for compliance has been weak, enabling investors like McDuck and Pennybags to make off with sacks of cash.
Just want to make sure this thread appropriately ends with notice that the lawsuit everyone made such a big deal about was dismissed, with prejudice.
ReplyDelete