[travis bickle]

Originally Posted by wburg

Relocation funding under the current ordinance are about $2500 per person. Assuming they can find something for about $600/month (the going rate for rooming houses or the cheaper tier of studio apartments, outside the central city) that's about two months' rent and deposit, plus a small amount for moving expenses and furniture. The reason why it adds up to close to a quarter million is, if it's the hotel I think it is, the relocation involves 95 people--thus, close to a quarter-million in relocation funds.

The reason why the ordinance specifies that replacement housing must be offered is that the money isn't supposed to be in the form of a check dropped into the hand of the resident: they wanted to avoid having people get the check and take a trip to Reno, or to their drug dealer, and end up broke and homeless without options. This is exactly what happened when the residents of the Biltmore were similarly relocated: a handful moved to other SROs, but many others ended up on the streets.

And yes, sure, they ended up on the streets because of their own poor choices, but if a little forethought can prevent that from happening, and thus save the city money in the long run (not to mention fewer people on the street) isn't it worth it? Remember, the people in SRO hotels ARE NOT HOMELESS. The purpose of the relocation funds and policy is to prevent them from becoming homeless, which will, in the long term, save the city money and limit that spending problem. It's that ounce of prevention that saves a pound of cure.

What the law states and what you need to do for project approval are often completely different realities. But thanks for the Sacramento relocation primer. Even with those figures that becomes a potentially prohibitive number.