By Jorge Casuso

December 11, 2024 -- The newly seated City Council -- composed of a 6 to 1 pro-housing development majority -- will take up a final proposal Tuesday to build 130 affordable units on three City owned parking lots.

Proposed development at 14th Street (Rendering courtesy of Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC)

The amended proposal from the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC), which was narrowly approved by the previous Council, scraps one of three proposed developments, reserving one of them for seniors.

Under the proposal, two of the three sites near the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center would be combined into an 82-unit development for seniors at 1211 and 1217 14th Street that includes 42 parking spaces.

The other development, at 1217 Euclid Street, would have 48 family apartments, with at least half of them two- and three-bedrooms, and 40 parking spaces.

The new proposal, combines the 14th Street development and a project originally slated for 1402 Wilshire Boulevard "to concentrate building height closer to Wilshire and decrease height on 14th Street" adjacent
to neighboring residential buildings.

It also removes the project slated for 1146 16th Street "so the site can remain available for public parking," according to a blog posted on the City's website Tuesday.

"Staff are continuing to research additional solutions related to community concerns about loss of public parking at Euclid and 14th streets," wrote Heather Averick, director of Housing and Human Services.

Under the amended proposal, the smaller residences will be one-bedroom units rather than studios, Averick said.

Of the 82 units at the 14th Street site, 80 units would be dedicated for seniors aged 55 and older and two for property managers. Forty of the units would provide supportive housing and 40 are for income-qualified seniors.

The supportive housing is for seniors who are homeless, have been homeless or are at risk of being homeless, housing officials said.

The "wrap around supportive services" include "mental health services, crisis intervention, individual therapy, rehabilitation and therapeutic groups, substance abuse services, life skills education, medication management, benefits assistance and connections to outside services as needed."

The amended agreement -- which was approved on a 4 to 3 vote in closed session at the August 27 Council meeting -- also provides "additional security features and personnel" at the 14th Street site.

Mayor Lana Negrete joined the three Councilmembers backed by Santa Monica's liberal establishment in approving the amended agreement opposed by the former "Change" Councilmembers.

The two developments account for 130 of the 1,880 affordable housing units on five city-owned sites certified by State housing officials the City has committed to building.

The other three sites are at Bergamot Arts Center, three parking lots on Main Street and a Downtown parking structure.

Santa Monica must plan to build approximately 6,200 affordable housing units during the 2021-2029 Housing Cycle to meet the State-mandated quota, according to City Housing officials.

The quota marks a "steep increase" from the 1,674 units allocated to Santa Monica by the State during the 2013-2021 Housing Element cycle, officials said.

"Land acquisition is typically the largest cost in developing affordable housing," housing officials said.

The two sites are among 24 City owned properties earmarked for 100 percent affordable housing development in the City's Housing Element.

Once built, the projects would serve individuals and families making from 30 to 80 percent of the Area Median Income, as well as people experiencing homelessness, housing officials said.

Tenants for both properties will be chosen from the city-administered Below Market Housing wait list Averick said.

Tenants for the supportive housing apartments will be chosen from a wait list administered by the Santa Monica Housing Authority.

The development designs will be discussed by the City’s Architectural Review Board later his month or early next year, housing officials said.

Construction of the Euclid project is expected to start next fall and end in summer 2027, while the 14th Street project is expected to start construction next winter and end in winter 2027.