Crews Break Ground On Permanent Supportive Housing Project

Crews Break Ground On Permanent Supportive Housing Project
Homeless veteran Dermott McCarthy asks for help on the streets of Venice, Calif., on June 20, 2014. (Eric Zhang/Epoch Times)
City News Service
7/7/2021
Updated:
7/7/2021

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Crews broke ground July 7 on a Proposition HHH-funded permanent supportive housing project in West Los Angeles to house seniors and senior veterans experiencing homelessness.

The 51-unit, five-story building at 11010 Santa Monica Blvd. is expected to be ready for occupancy in December 2022, according to Councilman Paul Koretz' office. It will include 50 studio apartments and one management unit.

Residents will be able to bring their pets, receive case management services, medical and psychiatric treatment and attend group meetings on site. The building will also feature a rooftop deck and security.

Koretz said he was “especially proud of this project,'' noting that it is near the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center and can provide support for homeless senior veterans.

“Not only is it the first HHH project to break ground in my district, but it was also the first HHH project approved in the entire city to take on the challenge of substantially reducing per-unit construction costs back down to the $3[00,000] to $400,000 range we promised the voters in 2016,” Koretz said. “It also targets two high-need at-risk populations—seniors and senior veterans—common among the unhoused in the West Los Angeles area. I’m grateful to all involved for their commitment to making it happen.”

Voters in November 2016 passed Proposition HHH to use $1.2 billion to build 10,000 units for homeless Angelenos, with the goal of more than tripling Los Angeles’ annual production of supportive housing.

The West L.A. project is being managed by the Weingart Center Association, and JPMorgan Chase provided financing to support construction. The project is estimated to cost $25.32 million.

“While these 50 units won’t solve the huge problem we have now, it will solve problems for the 50 people that need our help. Every bit we can do to find housing and provide long-term supportive services for homeless individuals is vital,” Koretz said.

“The Weingart Center Association is planning similar projects throughout the city, including a 12-story high-rise at 554-562 S. San Pedro St., a 19-story high-rise at 555-561 S. Crocker St., an 18-story high-rise at 600 S. San Pedro St. and a six-story development at 7024 S. Broadway.”