City Housing Authority buys apartments near Caffe Ladro

| Gatewood | West Seattle housing | WS breaking news

We recently mentioned the Riviera West building at 7100 Cali, south of Morgan Junction and kitty-corner from Caffe Ladro, was up for sale, and described as a potential condo conversion. Then in the past half-day or so, we received a couple tips/comments that it’s been bought — by the Seattle Housing Authority. This afternoon, SHA communications director Virginia Felton confirmed the purchase. She tells WSB it will be part of the Housing Authority’s “scattered sites” portfolio, explaining, “The Riviera is a good addition to this portfolio because it has six two bedroom and two three bedroom apartments, along with four 1 bedroom apartments. There is more need for these larger apartments.” As for the people who live at Riviera West now, she says they will be evaluated to see if they qualify for subsidized housing; if they don’t, she says they will have one year to “transition,” and she promises that current residents will be getting a letter about all this soon.

eric June 14, 2007 (7:37 am)

Just what low income people need: apartments with views.

What’s wrong with High Point?

Katherine June 14, 2007 (9:37 am)

Poor people shouldn’t be allowed scenery?

Admiral Resident June 14, 2007 (10:03 am)

Boy, feeling a little elite today, are we?

Keith June 14, 2007 (10:03 am)

Yeah, let’s put all those low-income people in subterranean bunkers where they belong. Out of sight out of mind, right eric? Sheesh.

Jiggers June 14, 2007 (10:10 am)

Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto who owns hundreds of homes in Honolulu, put several Hawaiian low-income familie’s-rent free-into million dollar homes on the rich and famous Kahala Avenue this year.

Jan June 14, 2007 (10:11 am)

eric…have you been to High Point lately? Not exactly low income anymore….

eric June 14, 2007 (1:26 pm)

supposedly, the number of low income units at High Point is increasing.

and yes, poor people don’t deserve taxpayer-funded views that I can’t afford.

I am aware that there are working poor, I am aware there are people that are in a bad situation, I am aware that some people need a hand. I don’t deny these situations.

However, growing up around one of the so-called “scattered sites” and having friends whose families lived there, I can say that there are a number of people taking advantage of public housing that are nothing more than lazy bums with misplaced priorities (alcohol, cigarettes, and BINGO, for example).

Call me elitest if you want, but I feel that for the good majority of the folks in public housing, they need some kind of motivation to move up and move out, not relax on their fourth floor deck enjoying the view of the sunset…

Jan June 14, 2007 (1:36 pm)

eric…I’m speechless. I guess I don’t understand your mentality. What solutions do you have? where would you like to see low-income housing? I can’t afford your house, but I certainly don’t begrudge you.Are you saying that you would like to see low income housing look like army barracks with a fence around it, and you’d better stay there because that’s all you deserve, you good for nothing lazy people? Please don’t generalize – give me your statistics about how many are lazy bums as opposed to how many work, but make less money than you. Or are you of the belief that if you can’t afford to live here, then get out and go live in a slum in some other city. You don’t know what could happen to you at some point in your life to turn your good fortune around, and you may need that low income housing….you’d be happy to live in said bunker? gees…

s June 14, 2007 (1:36 pm)

I think there are people who truly need the assistance, and also people who are taking advantage. I don’t have a problem with the former but do with the latter. My question: Does anyone know what kind of screening the housing authority does? Do they do criminal background checks, or require people to be working or at least looking for work? Do they give preference to seniors, people with disabilities, people with small children, etc etc? Just curious.

Jiggers June 14, 2007 (7:08 pm)

I don’t think there’s much land to build government assistid homes in West Seattle. I’d rather have a new building their being put to good use than a run downed lot with graffitti written all over it.

eric June 14, 2007 (9:35 pm)

Jan…. yep, you got me right. If you are getting housing that you are not paying for, then I don’t think you deserve view apartments.

Jiggers… maybe I am mistaken about the location. I believe this is the building on the SE corner and judging by the post, it is currently occupied by people paying full rent who are going to now be displaced.

I suppose if it were a condo conversion there would be 30 posts on this topic complianing about how life is so unfair. Instead, paying renters are going to get the boot for Brenda and her three kids from three different fathers. Yeah, Jan, you’re right, I may just end up in that situation some day……

Jiggers June 15, 2007 (11:32 am)

I’d love to have the state pay for my rent. How do I get on that program?.

J June 18, 2007 (5:20 pm)

Jan, do you live near the site and have you considered how it would effect tax paying homeowners on this quite dead end street? The SHA is supposed to be following their “scatter” plan and it seems that WS (Morgan Junction) has gotten a disproportionate amount of SHA’s properties. The neighborhood was not even given a say or notice and I find that very unfair.

Sorry, comment time is over.