In a novel bid to generate more affordable housing, Kern County is converting empty churches and blighted strip malls into apartment units for former foster youths at risk of homelessness.
The church on Oildale Drive and Minner Avenue has stood on the corner since 1954, built after an earthquake damaged the Oildale Church of Christ's building. Since then, the church has passed through a variety of denominations and congregations until it was abandoned in 2021. But the Kern County Housing Authority saw another life for the church building, in an often-overlooked area of the county.
Housing at the church complex is open to young people, 18 to 25, who have aged out of the foster care system, along with their spouses and children. The converted doctor's office is reserved for former foster youths ages 18 to 21. Tenants pay rent as they are able, on a sliding-fee scale, and utilities are covered. Pelz said the subsidies and upkeep will be covered by a mix of rental income and state and local funding for rental assistance.
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