How to resolve AdBlock issue? At its Oct. 5 meeting, the council gave unanimous support to selling a property at 15903 36th Ave. to Jerry Lambert and Alexis Silimon to build a new home as part of the city’s homestead program.
Clearlake’s homestead program offers participants a city-owned lot at no cost or $10,000 toward the purchase of a privately owned lot.
In October 2020 the council approved a proposal by City Manager Alan Flora to create the homestead program, earmarking $1 million from Series B bond funds to support it as part of an effort to encourage market-rate housing development in the city.
Applicants must meet requirements including having income levels classified as median to moderate, have an existing job within Lake County or a verified employment offer, have the ability to obtain financing for construction of a new stick built home or manufactured home, complete construction of a new stick built home or new manufactured or modular home within 12 months of the issuance of a building permit, and the home must be owner occupied for a minimum of two years from date of occupancy.
Flora told the council that, due to the interest rate hike, a number of people in the homestead program haven’t moved forward with their plans.
“There’s been a reduction in the number of participants in that program,” he said, explaining there had been about 12 individuals previously going through the process.
This is the second or third application approved, but Flora said he wanted to highlight it due to the recent circumstances.
He said the program hasn’t gone quite the way the city expected “because of interest rates and how that impacts people being able to borrow money to build.”
Flora said he’s excited to see the property transferred to the couple.
Councilman Russ Cremer moved to approve the property sale, with Councilman Dirk Slooten seconding and the council voting 5-0.
For more information, visit the city’s homestead program webpage.
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