HIP housing
March 2009
Dear Edgewater Isle Neighbors:
I write to respectfully urge you to vote NO on tbe proposed Bylaw Amendment.
HIP Housing is a San Mateo County not for profit organization that has worked for
37 years to assist people in finding a desirable and yet affordable "place to call
home." We offer four different programs including providing affordable rental
properties for low income individuals.
In 1998 the City of San Mateo approached HIP Housing and urged us to purchase
the 92 units of Senior Apartments at Edgewater Isle as they were at risk of being
sold to the private market, thereby losing the affordability restrictions then in place
for low-income seniors. When HIP Housing purchased the property, we not only
set deeper levels of affordability but expanded the affordability requirement to all
92 units and committed to maintaining the units as below market rate apartments
for low income seniors for 100 years. Since 1998 we have made every effort to
maintain the Senior Apartments as high quality units and have been good
neighbors to all of you throughout the community.
The owner(s) of each home throughout all of Edgewater Isle has 1 vote in any
election conducted by the Master Association and each owner pays monthly dues.
HIP Housing owns 92 units so HIP Housing has 92 total votes and pays monthly
dues for each of the 92 units for a total of more than $140,000 per year. This
seems to me to be fair - for each unit owned, 1 vote, for each unit owned, monthly
dues.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: No, Mr. Hamilton. The owners want to remove your
ability to appoint your own board member AND have 92 votes. It's one or
the other, but not both.
The provision allowing you to do so was added
when the bylaws were revised in 2007.
However, (though voting is to be done by secret ballot) the proponents of this
amendment claim to know how HIP Housing casts its votes and want to take away
our votes but not take away our obligation to contribute $140,000 per year to the
Master Association.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: The numbers tell the voting story. You can still vote,
you just should not have 92 votes AND an appointment. You can use your 92
votes on your choice of candidate.
The bylaws as currently written have worked just fine without objection for many years.
Please be fair and VOTE NO.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: Again, NO. The bylaws were revised in 2007 and to your
advantage. Since Edgewater Isle's inception in 1984 until the rewrite in 2007, a
23-year time span, the Senior Apartment owner did not have 92 votes AND an
appointed, untouchable board member. You changed that.
THAT IS NOT FAIR TO HOMEOWNERS.
Bruce Hamilton
Executive Director
Human Investment Project
315 South Railroad Avenue
San Mateo CA 94402
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