Rundown Anaheim Community Gets $54 Million in Upgrades

The former Jeffrey-Lynne neighborhood, once one of Anaheim’s most crime-ridden, rundown communities, is flaunting its $54-million make-over these days, complete with a new name.

Decrepit, overcrowded apartments have given way to gated streets with new buildings, play lots and a child-care center. Residents of the old Jeffrey-Lynne were given first choice at moving into the new Hermosa Village, with no increase in their rents for two years.

“It seems like we won first prize,” Margarita Martinez Mendez said of her new home.

Like the Mendezes, many families already have made the move back. Today city officials will unveil their redevelopment project with public tours and speeches.

The city took an eight-block stretch of apartments, invested time and money, and transformed a community of about 5,000 residents.

“The results speak for themselves,” said Mayor Tom Daly, who made revitalizing Jeffrey-Lynne one of his main goals. “The residents are thrilled. The neighborhood has been stabilized. It’s much more attractive. This is an example of what we should be doing in other high-density apartment neighborhoods.”

Since the 1970s, the name Jeffrey-Lynne had became synonymous with drugs and gangs. Shootings erupted on the streets; crime skyrocketed. With mixed results, city officials threw code enforcement at the problem and more cops. They tried extra foot patrols, cleaned out garages and banned street parking.

But that wasn’t enough.

Then, about three years ago, the city embarked on its most ambitious redevelopment project.

In a series of deals that Daly likened to a “complicated military maneuver,” the city negotiated with dozens of property owners to buy or lease their property.

They found two developers, one that oversaw reconstruction and the other to handle property management.

Of the $54 million, the city contributed $14.5 million with housing authority money, city funds and a loan from the California Housing Finance Agency. The developers secured the rest through conventional loans and state and federal tax credits.

The result is visible everywhere in the palm-tree lined development that has a new image and new name. Once, people couldn’t wait to get out of Jeffrey-Lynne. Now, they’re clamoring to get in to Hermosa Village. The waiting list for the low-income, affordable apartments is two years and growing.

This is a tight-knit community of people who have weathered deplorable living conditions only to be rewarded years later.

Graffiti has been replaced with fresh paint. The dense one-bedroom units have been gutted and rebuilt with two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments better suited for families with children. There are about 300 more bedrooms now.

The community center has a swimming pool, child care, a Boys and Girls Club, a computer lab and English classes. There is also an on-site health program, career counseling and a food-distribution program.

During construction, residents were temporarily relocated, although the city negotiated with the school district to allow children to attend the same schools.

Although many people moved from cramped and dilapidated one-bedroom units into larger apartments with more bedrooms, new plumbing and appliances, their rent will remain stable for two years, averaging $450 to $500 a month.

Mendez, 64, lived in her same one-bedroom apartment at Jeffrey-Lynne for 26 years, at times with six other people.

“We are very happy now,” Mendez said. “Much thanks. I sleep so much better at night. In the evenings, the streets are really quiet.”