California Apartment Association

Adding affordable housing and improving existing housing in the San Bernardino area are key priorities for the California Apartment Association.

With that in mind, CAA’s Greater Inland Empire Division has invested leadership power toward these dual goals – both at the county and city level.

CAA now has executives on both San Bernardino County’s Housing Authority Commission – and the city’s Housing Policy Committee, which is overhauling every rental housing policy and ordinance on the book, some as far back as 1950.

To bolster affordable housing in the county, Tim Johnson, executive director of the local CAA division, has been elected chairman of the Housing Authority Commission, to which he was appointed in 2013.

Ben Lamson, a CAA board member and founding partner of Bluestar Properties, joins him as the commission’s vice chairman.

“It’s important for CAA to be involved in all aspects of the housing industry, and serving in lead roles on the commission, Ben and I are well positioned to ensure our members have a voice on affordable housing matters in San Bernardino County,” Johnson said.

Johnson and Lamson are among seven commissioners appointed to the Housing Commission by the county Board of Supervisors.

The Housing Authority is the largest provider of affordable housing throughout San Bernardino County, serving nearly 30,000 individuals and families.

At the city level, Johnson is chairman of the housing policy committee, which is focused on improving the community’s housing stock.

He recently led the city’s first Housing Policy Committee meeting at City Hall, where the group outlined goals and priorities. Moreover, members were asked to review past rental ordinances and return to the next meeting with suggestions to improve them.

In January, newly elected San Bernardino Mayor Carey Davis vowed to mend the economy and improve the current rental housing stock, reducing crime associated with apartment complexes by the end of the year.

Davis asked Johnson for help.

“I told the mayor it starts with how rental housing properties are being managed,” Johnson said. “The city currently has several bad-acting owners who are not managing their properties at all and current ordinances that unfairly penalize all property owners.”

The CAA executive suggested the formation of a new housing policy committee consisting of industry experts to focus city resources on absentee owners that are affecting the quality of life for residents of San Bernardino.

Besides Johnson, CAA-Greater Inland Empire Division members serving on the committee include representatives from National CORE Renaissance, Cannon Management, Sares Regis and Western National, as well as the county Housing Authority.

Johnson also tapped regional rental housing industry partners, the Realtor Association and Building Industry Association to serve on the committee.