Tag: low-income

Affordable housing comes on line in Butte

Demand fierce; homelessness unresolved
by Natalie Hanson | Posted September 18, 2023

photo by Leslie Layton
Butte County Housing Authority Executive Director Ed Mayer at the play area of North Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex.

Affordable housing for low-income renters is growing increasingly available across Butte County -– even as the population of unhoused people grows.

There has been progress on the housing gap as new affordable housing developments come on line, and more expensive homes free up units for those qualifying for low-income units, said Butte County Housing Authority Executive Director Ed Mayer.

However, Mayer’s skeptical that the 3,056 new, affordable homes that are planned, under construction or recently opened can put more than a dent in demand in this county of about 200,000 residents.

The region’s housing crisis has been exacerbated by wildfires, as well as the huge discrepancy between average incomes and rents and home prices. Two years ago, in an interview with ChicoSol, Mayer estimated that 6,000 units were needed. read more

Medi-Cal recipients must renew to keep coverage

Butte County lacks providers who will take Medi-Cal patients
by Natalie Hanson | Posted September 2, 2023
Michelle Baass, director of the state Department of Health Care Services, spoke to reporters about Medi-Cal changes.

The scramble is on to ensure that millions, if they still qualify, do not get disenrolled this year from their state medical insurance.

In California, one out of every three residents is insured by Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income adults and families. That means that one-third of all Californians, or more than 15 million, will have their eligibility redetermined, according to California officials. Almost 90,000 Butte County residents qualified for Medi-Cal as of June of this year.

California has been able to “completely eliminate assets as a Medi-Cal eligibility criteria,” the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) told ChicoSol today; that change takes “full effect” on Jan. 1, 2024. read more

State sends Chico back to the drawing board – again

Revisions underway on City's eight-year housing plan
by Natalie Hanson | Posted June 21, 2023

photo by Karen Laslo
Creekside Place Apartments are opening to senior citizens who need affordable housing.

Chico city officials say that after nearly a year, the City’s plan for building new housing under state law — the Housing Element — could be approved this summer. But the process is already far behind schedule, as the state just slapped the latest draft with demands for more revisions for the second time in one year.

The City’s Housing Element has been under scrutiny since almost a year ago when it went before the public and City Council in August. A Housing Element, required of each city in California, must cover the eight-year period from 2022 to June 2030 to ensure that the City complies with state legislation, creating a comprehensive strategy to promote safe, decent and affordable housing. It assesses current and projected housing needs, constraints to housing production, and resources. It then establishes housing goals, policies and actions to meet housing needs over the Housing Element planning period. read more