LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With more than 50,000 homeless in Los Angeles County, every new home matters. Today, LINC Housing joined with the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, and other partners to celebrate the grand opening of Mosaic Gardens at Westlake, an all-new 125-home affordable apartment community near Downtown Los Angeles for households that have experienced homelessness, and low-income families and seniors.
Jenise, single mom to a five-month-old daughter and five-year-old son, is looking forward to moving into her new apartment at Mosaic Gardens at Westlake. Raised in foster care from age nine, Jenise has struggled to gain housing stability. She lived with family and friends for a while, but eventually found herself homeless, living in her car and in hotels. "It's hard to take care of your kids when you don't have a home," Jenise said. "I can't wait to move into our new apartment. I hope to take more online courses so I can build a career in the restaurant industry."
Mosaic Gardens at Westlake, located at 111 S. Lucas Avenue in Los Angeles, features 80 one-, 15 two- and 30 three-bedroom homes for low-income families and seniors. Nearly 1,900 households submitted applications for the initial lottery for the 60 affordable homes for families and seniors earning up to 60 percent of area median income. Sixty-three of the apartments are for formerly homeless households referred by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. There are two units for on-site managers.
“We took an all-hands-on-deck approach to this project, and the result is 125 units for formerly homeless households, as well as low-income families and seniors, who now have a place to call home," said Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell, who represents the Westlake area in the 13th Council District. "I want to thank my staff, the City departments, our County partners, and of course LINC Housing for their work to create Mosaic Gardens at Westlake. This new intergenerational, environmentally sustainable, and affordable community is exactly the type of project we need to address our housing and homeless crisis across the city."
LINC Housing is committed to integrating affordable housing with supportive services to create stronger neighborhoods. Through LINC's partnerships, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and The People Concern will provide wraparound supportive services for the 63 formerly homeless households. Services include mental health and physical health services, employment counseling and job placement, education, substance abuse counseling, money management, assistance in obtaining and maintaining benefits, and referrals to community-based services and resources. LINC Cares will support all residents with a variety of services to promote community, health and wellness.
"There's a tremendous need for both supportive housing and general affordable housing in Los Angeles," said Rebecca Clark, LINC president and CEO. "We've seen so much positive change in the communities where we build this type of supportive housing, and we're excited to see this new complex help transform this Westlake neighborhood."
The 1.19-acre site, formerly blighted with dilapidated structures and covered with broken down cars, trash and unmaintained overgrowth, required the removal of 40 vertical feet of soil from the hillside. The new building features shared community levels and two multi-story towers. One tower is five-stories above two stories of subterranean parking, a 1,700-sq. ft. community room with kitchen, two open courtyards, laundry room, an elevator, and a main pedestrian entrance. The second tower is four-stories above one story of subterranean parking, a 3,500-sq. ft. community room, a central courtyard, laundry facilities and an elevator. The complex also has a community garden, computer labs, health and wellness room, fitness center, playground, case management rooms, and convenient access to public transportation, shopping and services.
Mosaic Gardens at Westlake has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and intends to pursue a LEED Platinum certification. Sustainable features include high efficiency HVAC, water fixtures, central hot water heating systems and irrigation system, drought tolerant planting, storm water management plan to reduce water runoff, 125 secure bicycle storage spaces, and EnergyStar appliances in resident units and laundry rooms.
Funding for the $57.1-million development comes from a number of sources including the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission, City of Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department funds, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, a conventional loan from Citi Community Capital, tax credit equity from Raymond James Tax Credit Funds Inc., and Affordable Housing Program funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank. Ongoing operating support is being provided by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Additional support was provided by Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), The California Endowment, The Ahmanson Foundation, and JPMorgan Chase Foundation.
The development has strong support from both Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles as ending homelessness continues to be a focus in the region. The community was designed by Lahmon Architects, and the contractor was Walton Construction Services. Construction began in June 2016, and residents move in this summer.
About LINC Housing Corporation
LINC Housing, one of California's most productive nonprofit developers of affordable housing, is committed to building communities and strengthening neighborhoods for people underserved by the marketplace. LINC has helped create more than 7,800 homes in 76 communities throughout the state. The organization's properties are known for excellent design, outstanding management and life-enhancing services for its residents. LINC has nearly 35 years of service to families, seniors, people with special needs, and local governments - helping to create sustainable communities via new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation, and historic preservation. Visit www.linchousing.org for more information.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/19b9ed3a-7075-4706-bc8b-fbd88bb89eef
Media Contact: Holly Ferris, Ferris Communications, (562) 746-8461 mobile/text, holly@ferriscomm.com