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HOUSING AUTHORITY AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT
DATE: MARCH 24, 2026
FROM: HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT FOR SALE OF PROPERTY
AND JOINT ESCROW INSTRUCTIONS BY AND BETWEEN
THE ANAHEIM HOUSING AUTHORITY AND IRVIN J.
HIMMELBERG, TRUSTEE OF THE IRVIN J. HIMMELBERG
POWER OF APPOINTMENT TRUST TO THE IRVIN J.
HIMMELBERG AND PEGGY JO HIMMELBERG LIVING
TRUST DATED MAY 18, 2007, TO ACQUIRE PROPERTIES
LOCATED AT 611 & 617 E. ETON PLACE LOCATED IN THE
AVON/DAKOTA NEIGHBORHOOD
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 06
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: YES
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Governing Board of the Anaheim Housing Authority, by Motion, approve an Agreement for Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions by and between the Anaheim Housing Authority and Irvin J. Himmelberg, Trustee of the Irvin J.
Himmelberg Power of Appointment Trust to the Irvin J. Himmelberg and Peggy Jo Himmelberg Living Trust dated May 18, 2007, to purchase properties located at 611 & 617 E. Eton Place, located in the Avon/Dakota Neighborhood, in the amount of $3,000,000; and authorize the Executive Director of the Anaheim Housing Authority, or her designee, to execute and administer the agreement [associated tenant relocation costs in the amount of $898,208, as authorized in the Cooperation Agreement dated January 1, 2011 between the Anaheim Housing Authority and the former Anaheim Redevelopment Agency].
DISCUSSION:
The Avon/Dakota neighborhood is a multi-family residential area within the broader Anaheim Colony that has been the focus of long-standing revitalization efforts led jointly by the City of Anaheim (City) and the Anaheim Housing Authority (Authority).
Working together and utilizing a range of housing, planning, and financing tools available to both entities, the City and Authority have pursued strategies aimed at stabilizing the neighborhood, improving housing conditions, and advancing the City’s long-term goals for neighborhood revitalization and housing affordability. The neighborhood encompasses approximately 11.2 acres and includes roughly 41 multi- family residential properties totaling about 200 units. Over time, many of the properties transitioned from owner-occupied to predominantly tenant-occupied housing, Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions: 611 & 617 E. Eton Place March 24, 2026
contributing to deferred maintenance and aging building conditions. In response, the City and Authority initiated targeted revitalization strategies that include the acquisition and rehabilitation of aging apartment properties and their conversion into long-term affordable housing. Initial phases of this work were completed in 2013 and 2019.
Revitalization of the neighborhood has occurred alongside broader reinvestment in the surrounding Anaheim Colony area, including the development of the nearby Colony Park neighborhood, which introduced new housing opportunities, public amenities, and infrastructure improvements that have helped strengthen the surrounding community.
The City and Authority’s work in the Avon/Dakota neighborhood represents a continuation of these long-term revitalization efforts, recognizing that neighborhood stabilization and housing preservation require sustained investment, coordination, and partnership over time.
On June 1, 2010, the Authority entered into a Neighborhood Revitalization Agreement (Revitalization Agreement) with The Related Companies of California to guide redevelopment within the neighborhood. Following execution of the agreement, the Authority developed a Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (Revitalization Plan) calling for the strategic acquisition of deteriorated apartment buildings for rehabilitation and conversion into long-term affordable housing units. To support implementation of these efforts, the City, the Authority, and the former Redevelopment Agency (RDA) entered into, and later amended, a Cooperation Agreement through which the City and former RDA provided funding to facilitate the Revitalization Agreement and Revitalization Plan.
Implementation of the Revitalization Agreement and Revitalization Plan has resulted in three completed phases of development within the neighborhood. These phases produced 91 newly constructed affordable workforce rental housing units and the acquisition, rehabilitation, and long-term operation of 37 additional affordable rental units. As additional properties became available, staff pursued acquisition opportunities to support future phases of development. Over the past several years, staff successfully acquired 10 additional properties on Dakota Street and Eton Place to further advance the Revitalization Agreement and Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
Two key properties located at 611 and 617 E. Eton Place (Eton Place Properties) were recently listed for sale and represent a critical opportunity to support a potential Phase 4 development in the neighborhood. The Authority commissioned an independent MAI appraiser to determine the fair market value of the properties, and staff subsequently reached an agreement with the owner to acquire the Eton Place Properties at that value.
The combined purchase price for the properties is $3,000,000, which includes $50,000 to compensate the seller for potential business interruption related to closing activities.
These activities may include environmental assessments, relocation surveys, and other due diligence efforts that could temporarily disrupt tenant occupancy and result in limited revenue loss. In addition, approximately $10,000 in combined closing costs is anticipated to cover customary expenses associated with completing the property acquisition.
Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions: 611 & 617 E. Eton Place March 24, 2026
The Eton Place Properties consist of two four-plex multi-family residential buildings that are currently occupied. Acquisition of the properties will require relocation of existing tenants to proceed with implementation of the Revitalization Agreement and Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and support a future Phase 4 development within the Avon/Dakota neighborhood. Tenant relocation will occur in coordination with the assembly of financing required for the next phase of development. Because affordable housing projects typically rely on multiple funding sources, this process may take time.
During this period, the Authority will maintain clear and consistent communication with all impacted tenants regarding project timing and available relocation assistance.
The cost to complete the relocation process is estimated to be approximately $898,208, which includes relocation assistance payments and the cost of a relocation consultant to administer the process in compliance with applicable federal and state requirements. As part of the relocation assessment, tenants will also be evaluated for eligibility for the Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher program. When a City action results in potential displacement, the Authority may provide impacted households with priority for admission to the program, subject to eligibility requirements.
Staff recommended that the Commission recommend approval to the Governing Board of the Anaheim Housing Authority of the Agreement for Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions to acquire the Eton Place Properties at fair market value for $3,000,000, which includes $50,000 to compensate the seller for potential business interruption associated with closing activities. Approximately $10,000 in additional funds is anticipated for customary closing costs. Approval of the agreement will allow the Authority to secure these key properties and continue advancing implementation of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
The proposed acquisition represents the next step in the ongoing revitalization of the Avon/Dakota neighborhood through the coordinated efforts of the City and the Authority. This action supports the City’s Strategic Plan Goal B: Enhance Livability, Strategy 2 — to stabilize and expand affordable, workforce, and homeownership housing opportunities for low-income residents.
This item was presented for consideration and review to the Housing & Community Development Commission at its March 18, 2026 meeting. Following a discussion of the proposed acquisitions, the Commission voted to recommend that the Governing Board of the Anaheim Housing Authority approve the Agreement for Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
All proposed funding for the acquisition is derived from the Successor Agency’s Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule (ROPS)), which has been approved by the California Department of Finance and part of the HCD FY2025-26 budget. Upon approval, the Successor Agency to the former Anaheim Redevelopment Agency will transfer the funds to the Anaheim Housing Authority to complete the acquisition.
Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions: 611 & 617 E. Eton Place March 24, 2026
Respectfully submitted,
Grace Ruiz-Stepter
Executive Director
Attachments:
1. Sale of Property and Joint Escrow Instructions
2. Cooperation Agreement