Whittier : Housing Status Report to State Is Delinquent

A state housing agency says Whittier “does not appear to be in compliance” with a state law requiring periodic reports on the status of housing stock.

Whittier failed to file a report by the July, 1984, deadline, said the letter from the state Department of Housing and Community Development. The city last filed a housing stock update in 1982, the letter said.

Planning Director Elvin Porter said he believes the city submitted a report in 1984, but was never notified that the report was inadequate. “We’re doing some double-checking on it,” he said. However, in an interview two months ago, Porter said a lack of staff had prevented the city from preparing reports on housing stock.

The city’s next housing report deadline is July, 1989, and Porter said his department is working on the project.

The state agency notified the city of its non-compliance after receiving a letter from Helen McKenna-Rahder, a Whittier resident who has been active in the fight to block new apartment construction in established residential neighborhoods.