Housing program working

Housing program working
By Melissa Murphy
Posted: 09/07/2009

Vacaville's crime-free housing program is working as expected, according to city officials.

The City Council on Tuesday will receive an update on the multifamily housing program as well as information about the city's Annual Creek Clean-Up Day.

The housing program is a partnership between the Vacaville Police Department and local property managers/owners and residents. Its goal is to promote safe, crime-free environments for residents to live and raise their families in.

City leaders addressed the dwellings in three phases.

Since implementing the program in 2006, according to city staffers, 56 multifamily housing properties and nine mobile home parks have completed Phase I of the program, where program training is provided, credit and criminal prescreening of tenants begins, and a crime-free lease addendum is implemented.

This also is where the police and the properties develop a relationship.

Overall 26 properties have been fully certified, including the most recent, Senior Manor Apartments, on Lawrence Drive.

It is anticipated that Lincoln Corner Apartments, on East Monte Vista Avenue, will be certified next month.

"This is a labor-intensive program, including working closely with on-site staff, to successfully complete program phases, weekly communication with property managers, quarterly manager/owner meetings, property inspections and re-certification activities," the staff report said.

Since the program's inception, some of the visible results include improved police communications and relations with residents, owners and managers; improved communications between manager and owners; and a reduced number of police calls for service.

Meanwhile, Vacaville is gearing up for the Annual Creek Clean-Up event on Sept. 19.

Residents of Vacaville will have the opportunity to join in the statewide cleanup effort to remove trash, garbage and all sorts of other debris from local creeks.

The city's Community Services Department is organizing the local volunteers to help clean the creeks, along with support from Vacaville Sanitary, the Police Department and other businesses and agencies.

Last year, 622 volunteers helped collect 11,257 pounds of trash and 1,094 pounds of recyclables from Vacaville's waterways.

Volunteers, youth groups, businesses and organizations are all welcome and can call 449-5654 to register.

The City Council meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St.