A proposed low-income residential development that would house veterans and their families has cleared one hurdle: Members of the Santa Clarita Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the project.
Following Tuesday night’s vote, the development awaits a go-ahead from the City Council.
If approved, the project would include 87 residential units that would be offered to veterans of the United States military and their families.
The plan is for the units to cater to low-income individuals and families, said Donna Deutchman, the chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, the project’s applicant.
Habitat for Humanity will help veterans move into the houses by offering housing loans at zero percent interest, Deutchman said Wednesday.
“This is not a handout,” Deutchman said. “This is something veterans have earned the right and privilege to have access to through their service.”
The proposed 22.8-acre site for the project is on Centre Pointe Parkway south of the Golden Triangle Road intersection and north of Bowman High School.
Deutchman said the property was picked because of its proximity to retail stores and to agencies such as the Santa Clarita Valley Child & Family Center.
Deutchman said the decision to build the development in Santa Clarita was a no-brainer, citing the city’s population of more than 10,000 veterans.
“If you say that California has the most veterans in the country, and Los Angeles has the most vets in California, Santa Clarita is like the epicenter,” she said. “And the community is so veteran-friendly that we’re able to serve hometown veterans there.”
The project will be presented to the City Council on March 26, said David Peterson, an assistant planner with the city of Santa Clarita.
It will go before the City Council twice: for a preliminary hearing introducing the project on March 26, then for official approval at a later meeting.
Habitat for Humanity will then have to secure all the proper building and grading permits from the city, Peterson said.
Deutchman said she expects the entire development to take about two years to build, but she is hopeful people can begin moving in within eight months after construction begins.
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