Ceremony Caps Housing Restoration

The small group that met Thursday morning at La Casa Familiar de Nordhoff barely noticed the rain. The group focused instead on the ray of sunshine provided by the restoration of the earthquake-damaged building and its official reopening as low-income housing.

City Councilman Joel Wachs, in whose district the building stands, joined housing officials, bank executives and community activists for a dedication ceremony capping the $3.3-million rehabilitation project.

Wachs called the project especially vital, as La Casa Familiar de Nordhoff is in one of the Valley’s most blighted and crime-ridden areas. A recent Times series detailed gang and drug activities on Orion Avenue, which is about a block away.

“This one we look at as a real jewel because this place had been a real problem even before the earthquake. It was gang-infested. We had the police coming out three to four times a week,” he said. “This is how I want to see tax money spent. It’s taking places like this that have been an eyesore and a drain on city services and turning them around to make them family housing.”

The 47 one-bedroom units in the complex before the quake were converted to 38 two- and three-bedroom apartments.

Various contributors to the project were tied together by Decro Corp., a nonprofit housing organization that now owns and manages the complex. At Wachs’ request, the City Council secured a $1.3-million loan and Decro lined up the remaining funds.

Decro was founded a few years ago and is headed by Clark Harshfield.