“Accessible, affordable housing is the glue that keeps communities together,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, in light of a recent grant to Los Angeles County for affordable housing.
“Right now, we are seeing too many of our neighbors struggling to make ends meet. Through diverse investments in the development of affordable housing, we are working to prevent homelessness, drive local economic growth, and build stronger communities.”
The state of California recently awarded $40 million to Los Angeles County via three grants to support the development of affordable apartments and related infrastructure projects in the County’s unincorporated areas, said county officials. The projects will generate more than 320 new affordable apartments in a region beset by “skyrocketing housing costs”, they said.
“Countless residents in the unincorporated areas of my district have experienced skyrocketing rental rates in their neighborhoods,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis.
“Others live in their cars, stay with family or friends, or are living on the streets with nowhere to go. Without safe and affordable housing, hard-working individuals and families are at risk of losing their homes and jobs. This project not only provides much needed housing, but also wraparound health services to keep residents healthy and in their homes. As demonstrated by this grant, L.A. County is doing everything we can to take the necessary steps to bring new affordable housing projects to life.”
Of the $30 million set aside for affordable apartments, said supervisors, $20 million will fund two projects in the Second District.
AMCAL’s Florence Neighborhood Mobility Project will encompass 109 affordable apartments, 54 of which will be for individuals and families at risk of homelessness. The site will include a County-operated workforce development center and walking path through Franklin D. Roosevelt Park.
LINC’s Willowbrook II will include 100 affordable apartments and a daycare center located on a County-owned parking lot. The project will feature upgrades to bicycle routes and improvements to Mona Park.
“The remainder of the grant for affordable apartments, $10 million, will fund Meta Housing’s East Los Angeles Wellness Hub and Calvary walking path in the First District,” supervisors said.
“This project will include 113 affordable apartments connected along a two-mile walking path, with 76 units dedicated for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.”
The grant was made possible with a combination of cap-and-trade revenue through the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program and Infill Infrastructure Grant Program funds from Proposition 1C, the Housing and Emergency Shelter Act of 2006. The AHSC Program provides competitive grants and loans to projects that will achieve greenhouse gas reductions and benefit disadvantaged communities through affordable housing with pedestrian-friendly transit improvements, reduce reliance on automobile use and revitalize urban environments.
