By Jorge Casuso

December 19, 2024 -- The City Council on Tuesday voted to enter into ground leases and development agreements for affordable housing projects totaling 130 units on City-owned land.

The development, which was narrowly approved by the previous City Council, was easily approved after Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC) made major revisions to the projects originally slated to be built on three parking lots near the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center.

The revised development will include 48 family apartments at 1217 Euclid Street and 82 senior apartments on the sites at 1211-1217 14th Street and 1402 Wilshire Boulevard, which will be combined.

The senior development -- which will concentrate building height closer to Wilshire and decrease height on 14th Street -- includes 40 supportive housing apartments for seniors who are or have been homeless.

The revised project also removes the project slated for 1146 16th Street so the site can remain available for public parking.

As part of the approval, the City authorized a $13.5 million loan from Housing Trust Funds to HCHC for development, $6 million of which will be used to purchase the 1402 Wilshire Boulevard site.

The revised development addresses concerns from neighboring residents and businesses about the loss of parking and the inclusion of supportive housing that was originally earmarked for the homeless, regardless of age.

Former Councilmemmber Christine Parra, who opposed the original project, said the revised plan illustrates the importance of public input provided by discretionary approvals.

She noted such input will be scraped under an administrative approval process for large projects the Council greelighted near the end of Tuesday's meeting ("Council Makes it Easier to Build Large Housing Projects," December 18, 2024).

"Many concerns and issues were brought to light for the developers that were able to be rectified," making it "a better more inclusive project because of public participation," Parra said.

As part of the action, the Council directed staff to continue to work with HCHC on a "good neighbor agreement" and to further evaluate perpendicular parking as a way to increase public parking.

As part of the amended agreement, which provides "additional security features and personnel" for the inclusionary units, staff was directed to conduct an ongoing assessment of the effort.

The "wrap around supportive services" include "mental health services, crisis intervention, individual therapy, rehabilitation and therapeutic groups, substance abuse services, life skills education (and) medication management."

The revised project also increases the size of the smallest residences from studios to one-bedrooms and provides vehicle queuing areas within the property lines to reduce congestion in neighboring alleys.

Housing and Human Services Director Heather Averick said that HCHC and staff’s "work to incorporate and modify the developments based on community concerns and feedback, illustrates how community engagement can help shape affordable housing.”