Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is likely to make its flood control room functional later this week, to manage waterlogging issues in the district during monsoon, officials said on Tuesday.

This year, we are setting up the flood control room early as Gurugram has been receiving rainfall at frequent intervals in the past few weeks. We usually take a timeline of monsoon arrival by July 1 and make it functional by then, but this year, preparations started early. At present, the negotiations for setting up the flood control room are done, and we are waiting for a final approval from senior officials, following which, it will be functional by the end of this week, said a senior official, infrastructure-II division, GMDA.

The flood control room ensures that waterlogging issues being reported by the people are resolved at the earliest, with workers and machinery available on time for smooth functioning of the stormwater system during the monsoon.

Usually, two people manage the work at suchflood control rooms, but the information about this facility is yet to be released.

The GMDA had invited tenders last month, and it set a deadline of June 1 for companies to submit proposals for the flood control room worth 69 lakh.

This year, the authority has arranged for six temporary additional suction pumps that will be used in addition to the permanent ones placed at critical points. They will also make arrangements for super sucker machines in case of heavy waterlogging during the peak monsoon.

At a few critical points, like Narsinghpur service lanes, water can be removed from the streetsonlyby using machinery,saidtheofficials.The authority plans to deploy pumping sets and diesel generator sets at these locations, so that the work is not hampered during power cuts. Places such as Golf Course Roadunderpass, Sheeba Apartments in Sector 28, and Hero Honda Chowk among others, are some of the critical locations.

In 2019, the GMDA had placed eight dewatering pump sets, four tractor-mounted suction pumps, one earthmover, two super sucker machines, and 5,000 gunny bagsat a flood control room in Sector 53. About10 people worked there 24X7, in shifts.

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GMDAs flood control room to be functional by this week - Hindustan Times

Joe Adgie / The Newnan Times-Herald

Cowetans whose homes were destroyed or are unlivable because of the tornado (or any other reason such as a fire) are exempt from paying the 8 percent hotel-motel tax but many paying for stays were not aware of it until recently.

Local groups paying for the lodging of tornado victims allege some hotel and motel operators have not been following state and local guidelines regarding tax exemptions in the wake of a disaster.

In Coweta County and the city of Newnan, there is an 8 percent hotel-motel tax charged on hotel stays but local ordinances and state law provide exemptions for hotel stays related to property that was destroyed in a disaster.

Local hotel operators were reminded of the exemption by county and city officials several weeks ago, and some have been cooperative in not charging the taxes or in granting refunds for taxes already charged.

Others have been less easy to deal with, according to local nonprofit organizations that are paying for a large number of hotel rooms for those impacted by the March 26 tornado.

In addition to the disaster exemption, local hotel-motel taxes, as well as the $5 per night state charge, can't be charged on "extended stays" of over 30 nights.

The tax is charged on the first 30 nights, but isn't allowed to be charged on nights 31 and above. The 30-night provision remains even if someone moves to a different room in the same hotel.

According to the Georgia Department of Revenue's regulations, the consecutive stays in different rooms add up to the 30-day extended stay regardless of whether the right to occupy the room is granted under separate, successive contracts," as long as the customer's days of consecutive occupancy are not interrupted.

Local nonprofits have received reports of hotels making clients check out and then check back in to avoid it becoming an extended stay.

For the disaster exemption, the local ordinance language reads: "the tax imposed by this article shall not apply to: charges made for any rooms, lodgings or accommodations provided to any persons who certify that they are staying in such room, lodging or accommodate as a result of the destruction of their home or residence by fire or other casualty."

To receive the exemption, the person occupying the hotel room must certify that their home was destroyed, said Newnan City Manager Cleatus Phillips.

"I think most people were unaware and did not submit the certification," he said. Though the ordinance states "destroyed," Phillips said he thinks any home that received a "red card" listing the property as unsafe would qualify.

However, if people who should have been exempt did pay the tax, it is the responsibility of the hotel to refund them, Phillips said.

"The individuals should make the request to the hotels and that request should include the certification," he said. The hotel can then issue the tax refund, and adjust their tax remittance for the following month to show credit for the refund.

"Our hotels were notified of this refund process several weeks ago," Phillips said. "If anyone has an issue with this process, they should notify us immediately."

The city manager's office can be contacted at 770-254-2358 or cphillips@cityofnewnan.org .

Coweta County sent out a letter to the 10 hotels in the unincorporated county on June 1, according to County Administrator Michael Fouts.

The letter states "it has been brought to our attention that some of the hotels in Coweta County are continuing to charge the hotel-motel excise tax for these individuals who were affected by this declared disaster," and lists the county ordinance language for the exemption.

"Coweta County hereby requests that all hotels comply with this regulation regarding exemption of the hotel-motel excise tax for these affected individuals in accordance with the code of ordinances, Fouts writes.

Hotel operators should contact Fouts at mfouts@coweta.ga.us or 770-254-2601 with questions.

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Many disaster-related hotel stays should have been tax exempt - Newnan Times-Herald

David Dennis Jr., a freelance journalist, educator and commentator based in Atlanta, Ga., has joined The Undefeated full-time as a senior writer covering music for the culture vertical of the ESPN multimedia content initiative on sports, race and culture. A frequent contributor to The Undefeated, Dennis will also write long- and short-form pieces on other topics at the intersection of race, culture and sports.

Dennis will begin his new role with The Undefeated on Monday, June 21.

With David officially joining the team, we are fast-tracking thecontinued expansion of our Culture vertical,said Raina Kelley, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, The Undefeated.David is at home within The Undefeated brand and will continue to deliver the brilliant and thought-provoking stories hes well known for. Thathes starting during Black Music Appreciation Month is an absolute bonus.

Dennis joins The Undefeated after ten years as a critically-acclaimed and award-winning writer whose work has appeared inThe Atlantic, The Washington Post,Atlantamagazine,HuffPost,Medium, and more. His articles for The Undefeated ranged widely, from a sweeping history of the Black communitys involvement insocial mediato an assessment of rapperKanye Wests career and a look at actressHalle Berrys filmography after the debacle ofCatwoman.

This year, Dennis received the 2021 American Mosaic Journalism Award for his work, including an Atlanta magazinestory Ahmaud Arbery Will Not Be Erased a reflective piece about the young Black man killed while jogging in Brunswick, Ga. Based on confidential nominations from about 150 entries, a panel of 10 journalists from top-tier media outlets NPR, NBC News, CBS News, Telemundo, The Boston Globe,The Wall Street Journal, andOxford American selected Dennis and his work for the prize.

Its been such a delight working with The Undefeated team as a freelancer for years and Im so excited to join the team full-time, added Dennis. I cant wait to tell the stories Im passionate about with writers and editors I admire so much. Im so excited for you all to see what we have in store next.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Dennis served as a visiting professor of Journalism and Social Justice at Morehouse College, the prestigious Historically Black College and University in Atlanta. He was a faculty advisor for the schools newspaper, The Maroon Tiger.

Dennis is currently working on his first book, The Movement Made Us,scheduled for publication by HarperCollins in 2022. The book tells the story of his father, civil rights activist David Dennis Sr., a CORE field secretary in the 1960s and was a member of the Freedom Riders.

A 2008 graduate of Davidson College in Charlotte, N.C., Dennis majored in English and ethnic studies. He later obtained a masters degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University in Chicago.

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Award-winning Writer David Dennis Jr. Joins The Undefeated as Senior Writer - ESPN Press Room

Following a completed investment of more than $200 million, Harrah's Las Vegas now features 2,542 redesigned guest rooms, a complete casino floor remodel and two new LED marquees at the north and south entrances. Guests can also enjoy a variety of hotel, dining and entertainment offerings including The Spa at Harrah's Las Vegas, PizzaCake by Buddy Valastro and Donny Osmond's first-ever solo residency. Additionally, the center-Strip resort provides convenient, direct access to CAESARS FORUM Conference Center.

To commemorate the resort's recent enhancements, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Harrah's Las Vegas Dan Walsh ceremoniously switched on the new purple lighting on the building's exterior on Thursday, June 10.

Following the first two renovation phases of 1,622 Valley Tower rooms in 2016 and 2018, Harrah's Las Vegas completed the redesign of all 2,542 rooms and suites in 2020, including the Mountain Tower with an additional investment of $70 million. Designed by Marnell Architecture, the refreshed guest rooms feature bold purple and blue hues that complement the cream-colored dcor, dark wood accents and contemporary fixtures. Each room offers an oversized backlit vanity station, in addition to the backlit vanity mirror in the modern bathroom. Guests can also enjoy stunning views of the city or the High Roller Observation Wheel in select rooms. To book, please visit harrahslasvegas.com.

Additional highlights of the suites include ceramic dark plank tile flooring, a separate living and dining area with a wet bar and entertainment area, an oversized soaking tub and the option for two connecting bedrooms with a king bed and two queen beds. These suites are part of the Caesars Suites program, where guests can conveniently book more than 2,000 suites and villas within Caesars Entertainment's Las Vegas portfolio on one comprehensive website, caesarssuites.com.

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Harrah's Las Vegas Unveils A $200 Million Renovation, Including Enhanced Accommodations, Casino Floor And More Hospitality Net - Hospitality Net

On May 28, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his appointments to several Louisiana boards and commissions.

The Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission functions to: license manufacturers, retailers, developers, salesmen and installers; work with manufactured home consumers, manufacturers, retailers, developers, salesmen and installers to hear complaints and make determinations relating to construction defects, warranty issues and service complaints; and conduct hearings on any violation of the provisions of the law.

Gary P. Millet, of Prairieville,Phillip David Ridder Jr., of Tickfaw, andChristy A. Smith, of Albany, havebeen reappointed to the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission.

Millet is the owner of Rollin Homes Inc. He will serve as the representative of the 3rd Public Service Commission District.

Ridder is the owner of D.M.B. Mobile Homes and will serve as an at-large member.

Smith is the owner of S.E.T. Mobile Home Movers LLC. She will serve as a representative of the 1st Public Service Commission District.

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Gov. Edwards announces appointments to state boards - The Advocate

Stay up-to-date with Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market research offered by HTF MI. Check how key trends and emerging drivers are shaping this industry growth.

The Latest research study released by HTF MI Global Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market with 100+ pages of analysis on business Strategy taken up by key and emerging industry players and delivers know how of the current market development, landscape, technologies, drivers, opportunities, market viewpoint and status. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth.

Some of the Major Companies covered in this Research are Bouygues Construction, Lendlease Corporation, Laing O'Rourke, Seikisui House, Clayton Homes, Champion Homes, Modular Space Corporation, Cavco Industries, Daiwa House, Algeco Scotsman, Red Sea Housing, Redman Homes, Nobility Homes, Palm Harbor Homes, Irontown Homes, Jacobsen Homes, Kwikspace Modular Buildings, KEE Katerra, Pleasant Valley Homes, Woodlund Homes, Blu Homes, Chief Industries, Nationwide Homes, Wardcraft Homes, Commodore Homes & Professional Building Systems.

Click here for free sample + related graphs of the report @:www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-mes-market

Browse market information, tables and figures extent in-depth TOC on Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market by Application (Residential, Commercial & Other), by Product Type (, Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.7., Manufactured Homes & Mobile Homes), Business scope, Manufacturing and Outlook Estimate to 2025.

At last, all parts of the Global Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market are quantitatively also subjectively valued to think about the Global just as regional market equally. This market study presents basic data and true figures about the market giving a deep analysis of this market based on market trends, market drivers, constraints and its future prospects.

The report supplies the worldwide monetary challenge with the help of Porter's Five Forces Analysis and SWOT Analysis.

If you have any Enquiry please click here @:www.htfmarketreport.com/enquirymes-market

Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per your needs for added data up to 3 businesses or countries or 2 analyst hours.On the basis of report- titled segments and sub-segment of the market are highlighted below:Global Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market By Application/End-User (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : Residential, Commercial & Other

Market By Type (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : , Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.7., Manufactured Homes & Mobile Homes

Global Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market by Key Players:Bouygues Construction, Lendlease Corporation, Laing O'Rourke, Seikisui House, Clayton Homes, Champion Homes, Modular Space Corporation, Cavco Industries, Daiwa House, Algeco Scotsman, Red Sea Housing, Redman Homes, Nobility Homes, Palm Harbor Homes, Irontown Homes, Jacobsen Homes, Kwikspace Modular Buildings, KEE Katerra, Pleasant Valley Homes, Woodlund Homes, Blu Homes, Chief Industries, Nationwide Homes, Wardcraft Homes, Commodore Homes & Professional Building SystemsGeographically, this report is segmented into some key Regions, with manufacture, depletion, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes in these regions, from 2015 to 2026 (forecast), covering China, USA, Europe, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia & South America and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2021 to 2026.

Informational Takeaways from the Market Study:The report Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes matches the completely examined and evaluated data of the noticeable companies and their situation in the market considering impact of Coronavirus. The measured tools including SWOT analysis, Porter's five powers analysis, and assumption return debt were utilized while separating the improvement of the key players performing in the market.

Key Developments in the Market:This segment of the Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes report fuses the major developments of the market that contains confirmations, composed endeavors, R&D, new thing dispatch, joint endeavours, and relationship of driving members working in the market.

Some of the important question for stakeholders and business professional for expanding their position in the Global Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market :Q 1. Which Region offers the most rewarding open doors for the market Ahead of 2021?Q 2. What are the business threats and Impact of latest scenario Over the market Growth and Estimation?Q 3. What are probably the most encouraging, high-development scenarios for Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes movement showcase by applications, types and regions?Q 4.What segments grab most noteworthy attention in Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market in 2020 and beyond?Q 5. Who are the significant players confronting and developing in Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market?

For More Information Read Table of Content @:www.htfmarketreport.com/reportsmes-market

Key poles of the TOC:Chapter 1 Global Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market Business OverviewChapter 2 Major Breakdown by Type [, Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.7., Manufactured Homes & Mobile Homes]Chapter 3 Major Application Wise Breakdown (Revenue & Volume)Chapter 4 Manufacture Market BreakdownChapter 5 Sales & Estimates Market StudyChapter 6 Key Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Breakdown..Chapter 8 Manufacturers, Deals and Closings Market Evaluation & AggressivenessChapter 9 Key Companies Breakdown by Overall Market Size & Revenue by Type..Chapter 11 Business / Industry Chain (Value & Supply Chain Analysis)Chapter 12 Conclusions & Appendix

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, LATAM, Europe or Southeast Asia.

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Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market Still Has Room to Grow investigated in the latest research -... - WhaTech

Residents unhappy about proposed development on land, off Arthur Street, Blakenhall

They have now raised a petition bearing 87 signatures which is to be submitted to Wolverhampton City Council objecting to the application made by W G & M Marshall Limited.

Councillor Jasbinder Dehar and Councillor Paul Birch went to view the site and listen to the complaints of residents.

Previously an outline planning application for homes and car parking spaces on land at the rear of the caravans at Chaletland has been refused by planners.

Under the latest application, the company is seeking outline permission for access to the site.

It has reserved further details such as landscaping and the application for access from Cockshutts Lane is expected to go before the council's planning committee in July.

Mother-of-two Bernadette Clowery, aged 58, said residents were fearful the application could lead to homes being built on the site.

She said: "The land in question is a self-perpetuating wood which was once a disused asphalt area.

"I believe there are more than 175 trees on this area and because of this proposed access there would be problems with parking and noise.

"There are wood-peckers and blue-tits in the wood and a fox.

"We are concerned because we have all done our mobile homes up to a good specification and we are worried because our peace and tranquillity will be lost.

"Pedestrian access is planned at the bottom of Arthur Street and at the moment there are parking problems, deliveries are not being made.and we also believe fire regulations would be breached.

"There are mainly semi-retired and retired people living on the site and we are all concerned about the application."

No-one from W G & M Marshall Limited could be contacted for comment.

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Mobile home residents worried new access road will lead to housing development - expressandstar.com

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Jacob Jones photo

Ryan Smith, director of Washington State University's School of Design and Construction, is an an expert on prefab construction.

A

Smith, also an architecture professor, moved to Pullman with his family three years ago from Salt Lake City, where he taught and worked for 14 years at the University of Utah. It was a bit of an adjustment moving to the much smaller city at first, he says, noting that "the kids at first were like, 'Where's Forever 21?'"

There was also that whole pandemic thing this last year, which moved teaching to a virtual setting. But the good news is faculty and staff will be able to return to campus come July.

In addition to his tenure teaching architecture, Smith has also literally written the book well, six of them actually on prefabrication, a.k.a. prefab construction.

In a nutshell, prefab refers to projects where instead of doing something like framing a house bit by bit on site, different elements are constructed in a factory to a fairly finished state before being brought to the building's ultimate location.

There, cranes can lift full walls, rooms or even full living units into place to be quickly sealed together.

The process isn't novel, Smith explains, with the idea really taking root a century or so ago.

"It's been toyed with by architects and builders since the Industrial Revolution," Smith says. "Taking advantage of machines to build our houses isn't necessarily new."

But since that time, the technique has had fits and starts in popularity, he says. First, there was a boost in prefabrication's popularity just after WWII when soldiers returned and started settling down and starting families.

Then in the late 1960s and early '70s, Mitt Romney's father, George Romney, took charge of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, Smith says. Romney came from the auto industry, known for its assembly lines.

"George was an industrialist, and he had this idea: 'Can we meet the pent-up demand for housing by using WWII factories that lay dormant across the country?'" Smith says.

So the federal government invested in several factories across the country, including one in Seattle, to explore prefabrication techniques for housing. But Smith says when Ronald Reagan took office, funding for the program dropped off.

While HUD had come up with high quality designs to meet the need for single-family housing, Smith says the most well-known idea that came out of the program was a lower quality product: the mobile home.

"That is the legacy from our country's last major investment in prefabrication," he says.

Unfortunately, mobile homes built to federal standards often leaked, were inefficient and became associated with lower quality of life, even as they helped meet the overall need for housing, Smith says.

Fast forward to 2002, he says, and people were asking why the U.S. wasn't using prefab construction with the same success as other countries such as Sweden and Japan. So Dwell magazine ran a contest telling architects to partner with mobile home/prefab factories to design high quality, affordable homes.

Tyler Schmetterer/MOD X photo

Prefab homes are constructed in sections at a factory and then assembled on site, reducing construction labor costs and saving time.

The creative ideas entered for that contest spurred some companies that still exist today, Smith says, and helped put prefabrication back in the spotlight.

Currently, labor shortages in the construction industry are causing a bit of a prefab resurgence, Smith says.

"Labor has increased in cost, and the availability of labor to build homes is not there. It's a real problem right now," he says. "Because of that, now people are saying, 'Wow, this idea of prefabrication could really fly economically. It makes so much more sense: It's more productive, and frankly we don't have the labor. This could be something we look to.'"

In the Spokane area, Katerra, a cross-laminated timber manufacturer, has big plans to expand production of prefabricated walls and building elements.

Another company, Washington-based Blokable, has designed full modular affordable housing units that can be stacked next to and on top of one another. They're completely finished in the company's factory, making it much faster and more affordable to finish a multifamily apartment project.

So far, while prefab techniques definitely save time on projects of different sizes, Smith says it's really in that multifamily or hotel size where the speed translates to cost savings.

"The advantage that has been realized has been speed. We've seen 30 to 50 percent time savings," Smith says. "That may not benefit you all that much financially on a single-family home. But on a big, multifamily project or a hotel where you've gotta open to get revenue? Yes."

EMERGING TECH

If you'd like to help reduce the impact of your new home, you could build it to the voluntary international building standard known as a "passive house." These homes require very little to no energy to heat and cool.

Smith says he's also a fan of something called ICF or insulated concrete forms, in which semi-hollow foam blocks are put next to one another to create the form for concrete pours for, say, a basement. The blocks help insulate the room better and reduce the time that would've been spent building steel or plywood forms, he says.

Another recent innovation Smith says he's seen is something called "BamCore," which is a framing alternative to wood.

"So you're building walls not out of two-by-fours, out of lumber, but out of bamboo that is rapidly renewable and sustainably harvested," Smith says. "I think there's a lot of potential for this, though it still needs to go through a lot of testing."

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Prefab construction could be having a renaissance, and WSU's Ryan Smith is at the forefront - Pacific Northwest Inlander

FRESNO The officers arrived on East Princeton Avenue in the early morning, pointing theirguns down at the yellow lawn. In her bedroom, the walls scribbledwithcrayon drawings, Bre-Anna Valenzuela woke to the pounding of a fist on the steel front gate.

Fresno County Sheriffs Office! a deputyyelled. Eviction!

Bre-Anna, who goes by Bre, came to the door, standing behind her grandmother, hugging a baby doll to her chest. She listened as the manexplained that theyhad just a few minutes toleave. Shebegan to pack her things: her school-issued laptop, her favorite Barbie.

Shewas only 10, but she knew her family had nowhere else to go.

All over the state and country, millions of people like the Valenzuelas are in danger of losing their homes as the worst of the pandemic ends. In Fresno County, more than 650 families have been forced out of their homes since the coronavirus took hold last year, despite a federal eviction moratorium and local measures that aimed to provide relief.

Here, in a sprawling Central Valley county, evictions occurred at a rate nearly four times higher than in Los Angeles and eight times higher than in San Francisco.

Fresno County Sheriffs officers serve eviction notices in Fresno in late March 2021.

Nearly half of families in Fresno, where the typical household income is 30% below the state average, dont own their own homes. And even as rents have dropped elsewhere since March 2020, they have risen 17.1%in Fresno, the fifth largest city in California. Since 2017, median rent has soared 41%, the second-largest increase in the nation, behind only Boise, Idaho.

The Valenzuelas were already living check to check near Lafayette Park when eviction notices started appearing on their door. Their only stable income was the $942 in social security that Bres mother received monthly, plus her fathers $1,800 in unemployment.

He said he stopped working full-time last year when he broke his neck in a car accident; now he repaired bicycles in their yard and sold them online, sometimes bringing in $150, sometimes nothing at all.

The same deputies who came to Bres door on March 23 would continue across Fresno County, arriving at a new address every 20 minutes. Some families heeding whitenotices taped to their doors had already vacated their homes. Manyleft possessions behind: a drivers license, memorabilia from a military tour in Iraq, a single ruffled babysock.

As the early morning sky turned pink and purple, Bre stood outside with the deputies and a tub of four sleeping kittens, the latest litter of her cat, Bella. She watched as her mother, Danetta, came outside in an electric wheelchair, a portable oxygen tank between her white sneakers.

Bres father cursed as he tossed his guitar and toolbox into the travel-trailer parked in their driveway, which he had hoped to fix up and sell. A locksmith drilled the knob off the front gate, replacing it with a new lock, the house still full of their belongings.

Bre understood her familys fragility how they had been teetering on the edge of crisis for years and how the loss of their home could upend them.

She decided she needed to fix this, before it was too late. Standing on the sidewalk, the girl began to form her secret plan.

Bre-Anna Valenzuela, her mother, Danetta, and older brother, P.J., walk in their neighborhood.

The Valenzuelas came to California from Guntersville, Ala. Theyd been happy there or at least thats what Bres parents told her.

She was 6 when they moved back to Fresno, where her father had grown up and she had been born, and into the house on East Princeton Avenue. She couldnt remember much about living in the south, though Danetta, now 44, liked to tease her daughter by saying her accent came out when she was angry.

Bre as a baby. Courtesy Valenzuelas

If theyd been happy in Alabama, Bre thought, it was because they had money, and money had made their life seem normal. Her father, Brian, worked at a chicken plant. Her mother stayed home with Bre, her older brother, P.J., and their oldbrown dog, Henry, who greeted Bre at the school bus stop every afternoon.

They took a road trip to Key West, swimming in the Atlantic and eating key lime pie. In the summer, they drove around Guntersville Lake, or vacationed over the state line in Chattanooga, Tenn. Wednesday evenings meant bible study; Sunday mornings brought mass.

But Danetta was sick. Terminally illwith kidney disease and congestive heart failure, she had been in hospicemore times than Bre could remember. In truth, Bre had never known what it was like to have a healthy mother.

Danetta had developed preeclampsia while pregnant with her. She had chosen to keep Bre, despite doctors suggestion that she consider an abortion. Soon after her daughter was born, Danetta was in a wheelchair.

Danettas condition has led to multiple hospitalizations.

In the fall of 2016, after Brian saved enough money to buy his wife a diamond ring, they renewed their vows at a Baptist church in Guntersville; Danettas stomach was so bloated that she couldnt zip up any of the four dresses she bought for the occasion.

But they made the most of it, walking down the aisle to Stevie Nicks and Don Henleys Leather and Lace. Bre wore a flouncy white dress, which she hated, as the flower girl.

The following spring,Bres parentssigned a lease for the house on East Princeton Avenue. They told the owner, Louise Lolly Traxler, that they were moving back to California for the state-subsidized health and dental insurance, which they thought would cover more of Danettas bills.

Traxler, 74, who had workedas a financial counselor for patients at a nearby hospital, said she felt sorry for the Valenzuelas. Danettareminded Traxler of the dyingpeople she had helped over the years at work.

Danetta and Brian renewed their vows in Alabama in 2016 before moving to California. Courtesy Valenzuelas

Her own mother had bought the 800-square-foot house in 1949, when it was pastel pink, with hope it would provide her two daughters the stability she had lacked growing up. Purchasing the house had been her mothers greatest accomplishment, Traxler said, and before she died in 2002, her final wish had been that her daughters never sell it.

Traxler hadnt considered becoming a landlord, but she decided to honor her mothers wishes and rent the house out. The lease she signed with Danetta, Traxler later said, was as good as tissue paper, because theValenzuelas rarely paid the $900 rent on time, if at all.

After moving back to Fresno, Brian, 47, enrolled in a refrigeration training program at a local vocational school, hoping to make more money than he had at the chicken plant. But with their budget increasingly stretched raising two small children in a city with a rising cost of living Brian dropped out of the program and took a job in a warehouse.

Then, last year, Brian said, he was riding in his sisters truck when another driver hit them. Unable to do heavy labor with a broken neck, he lost the job, and has been repairing bikes ever since.

The unemployment and disability checks went to purchasing used bikes and bike parts, bus fares and groceries. As Danettas health continued to fail, they filled their shopping carts with nutrition drinks.

Danetta kept the invoices for her medical bills in a plastic bag in the kitchen, intent on paying them. But sometimes, instead, she would spend the money on gifts for the children at Walmart and splurge on special occasions.

She didnt think she would be around for holidays and birthdays in future years, so Danetta tried to make each milestone special even if it meant not paying rent. Sometimes, she said, she and Brian withheld money to make repairs.

Brian bikes with the family dog, Little Mama.

To be closer to her sister, Traxler had moved to a mobile home park for seniors more than 130 miles away in Morro Bay (San Luis Obispo County). In her absence, the house on East Princeton Avenue deteriorated: black mold, a mice infestation, broken plumbing.

Traxler, who said she receives $1,300 a month in social security, paid for what she could with credit cards. She replaced the refrigerator and oven with new appliances and hired a handyman to inspect the piping.

But the problems persisted and multiplied: A splotchy leak that Bre thought looked like a manta ray formedon the ceiling above Danettas bed. Bre found cockroaches in her Barbie Dreamhouse. She carried them outside, rather than smoosh them, because she thought they were only trying to live, like us.

Still, the Valenzuelas loved their home.It was cramped and cheap, but it was theirs.

They inflated a bounce house in the backyard for Bres unicorn-themed ninth birthday and propped an artificial pinein the living room window atChristmastime, so everyone could see it from the street. Danetta hung curtains and painted the kitchen green and white.Sometimes, Bre thought the house was the only thing keeping them together.

Brians mother, Sharon, often stayed with them, helping with the children while Danetta was on dialysis or at medical appointments. She lived with her husband in a small duplex 2 miles away. Their family was just about complete when they adopted Bella to catch the mice and roaches. Soon, she had her litter of kittens.

Then, in October 2020, her credit card debt mounting, Traxler sold the home to Capitol Real Estate Group of Visalia, just south of Fresno.

Sharon Valenzuela and granddaughter Bre have a close relationship. Sharon often stayed with her sons family to help when Danetta was ill.

Traxler said she wasnt trying to be a cruel landlady. She hadnt wanted to sell the home at all but with her age and disability, she saw no choice. She accepted $85,000. Less than a mile away, homes being flipped listed for more than $260,000.

Andres Andrew Banuelosbecame the Valenzuelas new landlord. Banuelos, who lives in San Luis Obispo, states on his companys website that he has helped manage over 150 property transactions for multiple investors.

Within three months of purchasing the home,the real estate group hadhired a lawyer based in Bakersfield she declined to comment for this story and filed for eviction against Traxler, although she no longer owned the home nor lived in it.

The notices started arriving in January. Danetta and Brian said they ignored the paperwork because their names werent on the envelopes;they assumed it was a misunderstanding. They said theycontinued paying partial rent to Traxler a claim Traxler disputes.

The Valenzuelas said they didnt realize Banuelos was their landlord. And with Danetta spending more and more time in the emergency room, they did not look into the legal notices. After all, Danetta said, they thought they were protected by the eviction moratorium a common misbelief that advocates and policymakers have seen across the region.

Theres this assumption that evictions are banned and arent happening right now, said Dr. Amber Crowell, a sociology professor at Fresno State University who studies housing inequality. It sounds more comprehensive than what it actually is.

The moratorium, she said, mostly only covers people who would be evicted for unpaid rent. And even with that, there are a lot of hoops they have to jump through. That leaves a lot of room for other types of evictions to happen. Your average person cannot explain what their rights are.

Danetta struggles to catch her breath while sorting through mail at the home the family was forced to vacate.

Had they read the notices closely, the Valenzuelas would have understood the eviction order included all occupants, named or not. Banuelos would later saythey had voidedtheir lease by allowing Sharon to stay with them and by not properly taking care of the home both evictable offenses.

He said they had also failed to pay rent since October, though the paperwork filed in court didnt ask for the payment of back rent, only a $40 processing fee. Under the moratorium, eviction because of non-payment is illegal if a family has been impacted by COVID-19.

Banuelos said he plans to flip the house, reselling at a profit.

They violated the terms, Banuelos said. Thats a them situation, not an us situation.

Bres family spent the first night after the eviction at Motel 6, listening to the commotion of traffic and the thundering of planes from the nearby Fresno Air Attack Base. Unable to afford a second nights stay, they checked out at 11 a.m. and rode abusback to East Princeton Avenue.

Bre stared out the window. She wore the same black Star Wars T-shirt from the day before, and chipped pink polish on her toenails.

Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on Highway 99, Fresno is an agricultural powerhousewithin range ofYosemite National Park. Housing in the city, though, has not kept pace with demand, particularly as the pandemic trend toward remote work has made the Central Valley more desirable.

A shortfall of 41,000 housing units has often left low-income and minority families like the Valenzuelas, who are Native American and Hispanicunable to pay rent, according tothe National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Though Fresno has tried to help out through its Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the city offered just $5,952.09 to 284 applicants in April an average of $20 per household.

The amount of documentation required by the federal and state government has resulted in us providing relief at an extremely low pace, said Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias. The program also requires that we have landlord participation and agreement. Its almost like filling out a mortgage application.

As relief trickles out, evictions have continued because of legal loopholes and varying interpretations of what the federal moratoriummeans. Even if tenants prove they cannot pay rent due to COVID-19, they can be evicted for other reasons, such as having too many people living on the property or failing to maintain the yard.

With the moratorium set to expire at the end of this month, one large property management company in Fresnohas filed paperwork in court seeking at least 300 evictions, according to sheriffs deputies.

The Valenzuelasreached their stop and walked the few final minutes to their house. They no longer had keys, but had to find a way back inside Danetta needed to plug in her oxygen machine.So she slid open the living room window, parted the flowered curtains and motioned to her daughter. Bre shimmied through the window, then unlocked the front door.

Danetta and Bre eat cereal on the porch of the house they were evicted from. Bre climbed through the window to unlock the door. Danetta looked up legal advice and called Governor Gavin Newsoms office on her cell phone.

On the kitchen counter, a pan of brownies theyd baked the night before the eviction had gone stale. Sharon poured Lucky Charms into glasscontainersfor Danetta and Bre, then emptied the last of the cereal into a dish for Little Mama, the pit bull.

Brian busied himself in the side yard painting a tandembike bright teal. He hoped to sell it by days end to pay for another night at the motel.As he worked, Bre, Danetta and Sharon sat on the shaded front porch and searched for answers.

Siri, tell me about squatters rights, Danetta said, rasping into her cell phone. Her oxygen machine whirred.

She had already missed a dialysis session because of the eviction. The extra fluid in her abdomen made her belly balloon outward. She had to wear extra-large T-shirts, despite her petite frame. On days like these, Bre thought her mom looked pregnant.

Bre played with her Barbies, one with brown dreads, the other with crimped blonde hair that shed streaked with colored markers. She liked to think they were twins, because if they were twins, they would have each other, unlike her and her 14-year-oldbrother, who was always at his girlfriends house.

Bre took a soggy bite of cereal. Danetta read aloud from a website that offered legal help for $5, as Sharon cautioned there would be more money to pay after that.

They learned that,to prevent their eviction, they would have had to provide proof to their new landlord that they couldnt pay rent within 10 days of the original eviction notice. Even if they had done that, they learned, they would have owed at least 25% of their monthly rent, or $225.

Swept up by personal crises, they hadnt realized that cobbling together the money could have helped prevent their eviction. They hadnt attempted to get aid of any kind.

On Danettas phone, they watched a news conference from January,when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the states eviction moratorium would extend through at least June 30. He vowed that $2.6 billion in aid to renters $1.4 billion of it from the state and $1.2 billion from counties and cities would be administered quickly.

These families need protection and relief now, Newsom said to applause.

Much of that aid would go unspent in the next few months, the distribution of cash backlogged by bureaucracy and an online application process that confused tenants. By May, less than 10% of available funds, or $102 million, had been distributed by the state, despite the application portal opening two months earlier, on March 15.

Bre collects some of her belongings the day after being evicted from the familys home.

Danetta couldnt find answers to most of their questions: Did they really only have 15 days to retrieve their belongings? Were they trespassing now by being at their own house? Could they still apply for coronavirus rent relief fundsfrom the state, though they didnt have the paperwork to prove their income had dropped, that Brian had flipped fewer bikes over the past year? Or that she was disabled and on social security?

OK, Google, call Governor Newsom, Danetta said.

An automated recording listed the options. Danetta pressed 1 for English, then 6 to talk with a representative. Her call transferred and disconnected. She called back, navigating the phone tree again. She waited on hold.

Sharon smoked a cigarette from a pack of Marlboros tucked in her bra strap. Tapping on her phone, she sent an email to Bres school, letting them know the fourth-grader wouldnt be logged into class that day. They were in transition, she wrote. Bre twirled an orange fidget spinner.

Twelve minutes later, the line clicked. Is this is this somebody for Mr. Newsom? Danetta asked.

Yes, I work for the governor, said a legislative aide who introduced himself as Cole. Whats on your mind?

Danetta explained that theyd recently lost their home, that shed already called California Rural Legal Assistance and Central California Legal Services, that the nonprofits weretoo overwhelmed to help and could only offer other phone numbers to try.

Shed called the clerks office at Fresno County Superior Court, the United States Housing Authority, Catholic Charities and Cherokee Nation, which sometimes offers money to Native families in distress.

Shed received no help. The aide offered her a link to a website, which he said would be the best resource available. He said that Danetta was right, that the governor had signed a moratorium into law, but that there were different ways that people can be affected by it and he couldnt say what that meant for her.

So theres no other advice you can give me? Danetta asked.

Unfortunately not.

Ending the call, Danetta sent Bre back into the house for their Blu-ray player. They still had the receipt and could return it to Walmart for cash, affording them another $89 night at Motel 6.

Bre rides on the front of Danettas wheelchair as they leave the Motel 6 with Sharon to get breakfast.

As they rode the bus to the store and then on to Motel 6, Bre played Minecraft on her phone. In this world, she could build her family a home, with a separate room for her kittens. The garden overlooked the ocean. Daisies blanketed the lawn, where Sharon lived in a hollowed-out birch tree, the stairs made of leaves.

By the time theyreached the motel, her phone had died. Bre returned to her secret plan, mulling it over. It could work, she thought. But she wasnt ready to reveal it to her mother, not yet.

In the room, shepicked upone of her Barbies and pressed the button on her back. The doll was meditation-themed. Take a deep breath, it soothed.Breathein Breathe out Bre fell backward onto the queen-size bed and closed her eyes.

Nine days after the eviction, Bre and her mother were still at the Motel 6.

Her fatherand Little Mama kept watch over the house on East Princeton Avenue,fending off potential burglarsfrom stealing the possessions still locked inside and sleeping in a travel-trailerin Sharons backyard during the day. Sometimes, Brian would bike to the motel Little Mama cradled in one arm to watch a movie and snuggle in bed with his wife and daughter.

At the Motel 6, Bre stuck to her moms advice to always wash her feet before bed, and played with Barbies she brought from the familys former home.

On the last day of March, the Valenzuelas ran out of money for the motel. Danetta and Bre left to be with P.J., who was staying at his girlfriends familys two-bedroom apartment in northeastFresno, near the airport. The mother and daughter slept together on the brocade couch in the living room, Bre often waking at night to the wail of sirens.

She wished they could all stay with Sharon. Bre loved her grandmothers house, with wind chimes and bells on the porch and an avocado tree dropping fruit on the lawn. But the duplex was too cramped for all of them, and too narrow for Bres mother to navigate in her wheelchair.

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Evicted at age 10: Her family was forced out of their home. She just wanted to keep them together - San Francisco Chronicle

Plans to massively increase jobs and housing in Mountain View's North Bayshore tech park are contingent on a car-light future, in which thousands of employees walk, bike and take transit to work. But so far, too few workers have been willing to ditch driving.

As it stands, 56% of employees in North Bayshore drive to work solo, well above the area's target of 45%, with little sign of improvement over the last five years. Reaching that target is a critical factor in allowing job and housing growth, which was rezoned to allow up to 9,850 new homes, without causing miserable gridlock in the area.

In seeking to meet that goal and keep traffic at a tolerable level, Mountain View City Council members voted this week on a revised plan that tacks on several new projects aimed at getting people off the road. Among them is a proposal to roll out "congestion pricing," which would charge people a premium for traveling into the tech park.

The idea has been floated seven years ago, meeting with a mixed reaction and seen as a last resort, but council members on June 8 agreed to make it a short-term priority to launch within the next five years. Council members favored congestion pricing -- along with a suite of transit, bike and pedestrian improvements -- over expensive projects that would increase roadway capacity and encourage more driving.

"I don't want to just build more and more freeway entrances to North Bayshore," said Councilwoman Alison Hicks. "I think that goes against what we've been working for."

Travel into North Bayshore, home to the city's major employers including Google, Intuit and Microsoft, is limited to three major roadways. And two of those of those so-called "gateway" roads -- Shoreline Boulevard and Rengstorff Avenue -- are already approaching capacity during peak commute hours. Upcoming office growth in North Bayshore is expected to add over 6,000 more jobs, raising serious concerns about traffic bottlenecks into North Bayshore.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent work-from-home policies by tech companies have done little to assuage the concerns of the city. In a report, city staff wrote that traffic congestion is expected to return to previous levels, and that employers will want to make "productive use" of their full building spaces. Employees will likely be required to show up on certain days to maximize workplace collaboration, and those employees may be reluctant to take transit due to public health concerns.

The blueprint for North Bayshore's future development seeks to solve those problems with a "car-lite" vision for the area, in which those who live and work in the area would take transit, walk or bike to their destination rather than use a car. The plans include a walkable street network, bike infrastructure and "internalized" trips to work, meaning people live and work in North Bayshore and won't have to in and out via Shoreline and Rengstorff.

But a recent study found that it will take more to solve future traffic woes, with a menu of recommended options that includes minimal parking availability and a complete revamp of the Highway 101 and Rengstorff Avenue intersection to boost roadway capacity by 800 vehicles during peak commute hours.

Several council members said they were uneasy with spending tens of millions of dollars just to help more people drive into North Bayshore. Councilwoman Lisa Matichak said the whole point of the redevelopment plans was to encourage workers to get out of cars, and she was concerned that the city was taking action in ways that would increase vehicle traffic.

"I'm not sure I want to do things that increase the ability for more cars to go into and out of North Bayshore," she said.

More palatable was the idea of congestion pricing, which has been used in Europe and Asia for years and is currently being studied by San Francisco and Los Angeles. Congestion pricing comes in many forms, and could charge drivers a toll for crossing into North Bayshore or be based on how many miles are traveled within the area. Creating such a program would require a network of cameras and technology to read license plates and transponders, collecting drivers' personal information that would need to be safeguarded, city officials said.

The idea also raises equity concerns, and whether all drivers should be charged the same fee for coming into or driving within North Bayshore. Existing North Bayshore residents living in the Santiago Villa mobile home park would have difficulty paying a surcharge just for driving around their own neighborhood, said Santiago Villa resident Alex Brown.

"I think there are a lot of people who could not afford to continue driving if congestion pricing did not exempt them, given how much we have have to cross into and out of this district," he said.

Jim Lightbody, a consultant for the city, said there have been a number of proposals about who would be charged and who would be exempted under congestion pricing, but that those details have yet to be determined. He stressed that the city has only done a cursory look at congestion pricing through a feasibility study to determine whether it makes sense to pursue it.

Though city officials suggested that congestion pricing ought to be rolled out within the next 10 years, Councilman Lucas Ramirez proposed that the city bump it up as a five-year priority, ahead of costly roadway projects. Assuming it works, Ramirez said the city could reduce vehicle trips into North Bayshore and would no longer need massive infrastructure upgrades that could incentivize driving.

"What I'm hoping will happen is that that tool proves effective and it will render some of the additional projects that are proposed further out unnecessary," Ramirez said.

The other major concern hanging over the council was who would pay for expensive transportation upgrades. By tacking on more projects, the city is now facing costs of $487 million, most of which still does not have a funding source. Of the $140 million that has been accounted for, about 80% is being paid for by taxpayers through the city's Shoreline Regional Park Community funds. A much smaller 17% is being paid for by the developments themselves through impact fees.

Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga said she was under the assumption that redevelopment in North Bayshore would largely pay for the transportation improvements, and that she was not expecting the city to foot most of the bill.

"I was very disappointed to see what the split is right now, with 80% falling on the city," Abe-Koga said.

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Mountain View looks to congestion pricing to get tech workers out of cars - Mountain View Voice