New Affordable Housing Opens in Santa Monica
December 12, 2022 10:46 AM
by Erin Taylor
114 Affordable Homes at Three City-Funded Properties
This article was featured in the December 2022 edition of Seascape. Read the entire edition in English and Spanish.
Pacific Landing, located at 2120 Lincoln Boulevard, opened this Fall and provides 37 newly constructed, 100% affordable apartments in the heart of Santa Monica. The building includes a mix of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments for individuals and families making between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income with a preference for people that work and live in Santa Monica. Site amenities include a coffee shop on the ground floor, a community room, a central courtyard with a playground, landscaping, on-site laundry, and a roof deck. The construction is 100% electric including PV solar panels on the roof, energy star appliances, and EV charging stations. $9.5 million in City funds from the Housing Trust Fund contributed to this building owned and operated by Community Corporation of Santa Monica. Patrick Tighe Architecture designed the building and Walton Construction brought the property to life.
"Santa Monica celebrates the opening of Pacific Landing, which leveraged more than $9.5 million from the City’s Housing Trust Fund for construction," said Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich. "This is yet another example of how Santa Monica is expanding affordable housing citywide. To the Santa Monicans who will move in, we say: 'Welcome home!'
"We're thrilled to unveil this beautiful property in the heart of Santa Monica, offering those of modest means housing on the beautiful Westside of Los Angeles," said Tara Barauskas, Executive Director of Community Corp. "We are confident that our Pacific Landing development will enable residents to build a bright future in a high-opportunity neighborhood and are thankful to everyone who helped materialize this vision."
Pacific Landing joins two other new affordable housing communities for Seniors 62+ that recently opened in Santa Monica:
Greenway Meadows, located at 1840 14th Street, opened in Spring 2021. Constructed by Community Corporation of Santa Monica with a $10 million investment from the City of Santa Monica, this property is available for low-income seniors age 62+. Amenities include an elevator, air conditioning, energy efficient appliances, a community room, and a laundry room. All 38 apartments at Greenway Meadows are one bedroom and one bathroom and are required to be affordable for seniors earning low- to moderate-income in Santa Monica. Certain apartments are also designated for persons with mobility, vision, or hearing accessibility needs. For more information about Community Corp., please visit communitycorp.org.
Magnolia Villas is an affordable housing community designed for lowincome seniors. Opened in December 2021 and fully leased by January 2022, this new community is a four-story, 26,875-square-foot building located in an area rich with amenities and transportation options. Located at 1453 10th Street, the community includes 39 one-bedroom apartments, and an on-site staff unit, as well as a 2,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard and community garden, onsite laundry, bicycle storage, programming offices, and a community room. Each unit includes a private balcony. Developed by EAH Housing, Magnolia Villas was made possible by an $11.4 million investment from the City of Santa Monica’s Housing Trust Fund. Rents at Magnolia Villas are affordable to adults 62+ making between 30 percent and 60 percent of area median income.
Vacancies in these affordable apartments are filled from the City’s Below Market Housing waitlist. For more information and to apply, visit santamonica.gov/housing-apply.
Over $30 million of City funding from the Housing Trust Fund contributed to the construction of these properties. Along with rent control, inclusionary zoning, and the programs of the Housing Authority, allocation of resources from the City’s Housing Trust Fund is one of the key drivers of preserving housing affordability levels in Santa Monica. These funds come primarily from revenue provided by the voter-approved sales tax, Measures GS and GSH. There are an additional 239 City-funded affordable new construction apartments in the pipeline and all residences built will meet the City’s new electrification requirement moving forward. Additional zero net energy retrofits to existing Santa Monica affordable housing properties were also completed recently.
In addition to City-funded affordable apartments, developers of new for-profit multifamily buildings are required to contribute to affordable housing in Santa Monica. There are approximately 1,200 affordable apartments provided by for-profit property owners throughout Santa Monica as required by the 1990 voter initiative Proposition R, making the creation of affordable housing mandatory as part of the development of market-rate apartment buildings.
ADDITIONAL HOUSING UPDATES
The American Rescue Plan, signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021, provided $6.35 million in funds toward Santa Monica housing efforts. Over 100 new federal Emergency Housing Vouchers have been secured and issued to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. City Council approved the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan at the September 13, 2022 meeting. The plan proposes use of $2.2 million in HOME-ARP funds for homeless prevention and supportive services. If the plan is approved by HUD, Council will consider awards to service providers in Spring of 2023, following a competitive process.
Over $750,000 in City funds were made available to support one-time relief for households in rent-controlled apartments impacted by the general adjustment increase as part of the Rent Control Adjustment Relief (RCAR) Program. Over 580 households applied for this relief. 60% of applicants are above the age of 50. 31% of applicants were from 90405, 26% from 90403, and 23% from 90404. Individuals who are approved for the relief have now received notifications. Voucher holders that qualify for rent relief will be notified of their eligibility during their annual recertification process. For questions, contact rcar@santamonica.gov.
The final draft of the 6th Cycle Housing Element (2021–2029) was approved by City Council on October 11, 2022, and the state certified it on October 14, 2022. This state required planning document demonstrates Santa Monica’s capacity to meet the state mandate for housing units while furthering fair housing and emphasizing affordable housing production. For more information, visit santamonica.gov/housing-element-update.
For ongoing updates about our housing programs including opportunities to sign up for the Below Market Housing waitlist, visit santamonica.gov/categories/programs/housing.
Photo Credit: Magnolia Villas by EAH Housing
Authored By
Erin Taylor
Senior Marketing Manager