Long-delayed affordable housing project opens in Boyle Heights
Long-delayed affordable housing project opens in Boyle Heights
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and others christened a long-awaited affordable housing project in Boyle Heights Friday morning, April 11.
The Lorena Plaza has 49 units and 7,500 square feet of retail space at the corner of First and North Lorena streets. The project offers 32 units for the homeless, 16 for low-income households and one for an on-site manager. And 50% of the apartments are prioritized for veterans who are low-income or homeless, according to the nonprofit building the project, A Community of Friends.
The project has three studio units, 18 one-bedroom units, 20 two-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom units, according to A Community of Friends. Lorena Plaza will also provide to tenants supportive services including case management, life skills classes, family and children’s services, and substance use recovery assistance.
In late 2022, Bass signed a directive at this site when under construction, calling for cutting red tape and ordering the city to build affordable housing at a quicker pace.
Some media reports said the project had been in the works for 17 years. Dora Leong Gallo, president and CEO of A Community of Friends told this newspaper the project had to get approval of 30 clearances that involved multiple City of Los Angeles departments.
“I remember being here when this was a construction site, and had been unable to break ground for more than 15 years because of red tape,” said Bass at the dedication ceremony. Bass, who also serves on Metro’s board, added, “By taking bold action, we broke away from the old ways of doing things and replaced it with a new approach focused on solutions, results and speed.”
The project is built on excess LA Metro property and is one-quarter mile from the transportation agency’s Metro E Line Indiana Station. Metro is halfway to its goal of building 10,000 homes with about 5,000 units completed, in construction or in negotiations, the agency reported.
“We’re excited to welcome 48 families to new transit-connected homes at Lorena Plaza,” said LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins.
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