Bell to sell 9 Housing Authority homes for $1.8 million

BELL, CA — The Bell Community Housing Authority approved the sale of nine residential units on Pine Avenue for $1.8 million on June 24, ending public ownership of nine residential units owned by the Bell Community Housing Authority.

The properties, located at 6629 and 6633 Pine Ave., include a five-unit apartment building and four single-family homes. They are owned by the Bell Community Housing Authority (BCHA), a public agency created with the primary responsibility of providing housing for low- and very low-income residents. Since 2012, the Housing Authority has served as the housing successor to the former Bell Redevelopment Agency, taking ownership of most of its assets. 

The Bell City Council approved the sale while meeting in its capacity as the Bell Community Housing Authority board. Mayor Ali Saleh recused himself from the item, citing ownership of nearby property. The remaining four members of the Bell Community Housing Authority board approved the sale unanimously.

According to the Housing Authority's 2018-19 annual report, the Pine Avenue properties were operated as rental housing. At the time, the five-unit apartment building was fully occupied, while three of the four single-family homes on the property were vacant. The report also shows the Housing Authority owned or managed 59 apartment units, two single-family homes, 348 mobile home spaces, and two commercial properties throughout Bell.

City Manager Michael Antwine did not respond to questions from The SELA Sun before publication about whether the remaining five-unit apartment building will continue to be rented at affordable rates, whether any tenants will be displaced, or when escrow is expected to close.

The buyer, Ali Elhadi Khalil, plans to keep the existing five-unit apartment building as rental housing while demolishing the four single-family homes and replacing them with five to six new townhomes for sale.

Staff told the council the properties had been "available for over a year" and "posted for at least six to eight months." 

The staff report also states that, as part of the Surplus Land Act process, the Housing Authority sent a Notice of Availability to housing organizations registered with the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Although the city received numerous inquiries about the properties, only one valid proposal was submitted for both parcels, offering $1.8 million.

According to staff, interest was limited because the front homes were "not (in) the best condition" and the site includes a shared driveway easement between the front and rear parcels. Staff said the easement made it difficult to sell the properties separately, so the city combined the two parcels into a single sale.

The purchase price is split evenly between the two parcels at $900,000 each, for a total of $1.8 million. Sale proceeds will be deposited into the Bell Community Housing Authority Fund.

During the discussion, staff also told the council that the Housing Authority is in the process of selling additional properties and that more sale agreements are expected to come before the board at a later date.