Addressing Homelessness: City Council authorizes moving forward with affordable housing on city-owned Wilshire lots
December 18, 2024 3:21 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 19, 2024) – The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday approved agreements with Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, or HCHC, to develop 130 affordable apartments, including 40 supportive housing apartments with onsite case management services tailored to meet individual client needs, on city-owned properties along Wilshire Boulevard.
In August, the City Council directed staff to continue exclusive negotiations with HCHC, based upon a revised proposal for affordable and supportive housing on Euclid Street, 14th Street and Wilshire Boulevard. The proposal for the site was also directed by the city’s approved Housing Element.
The development will include 48 family apartments at 1217 Euclid St. and 82 senior apartments, including 40 supportive housing apartments, for seniors 55 and older at 1211-1217 14th St. and 1402 Wilshire Blvd.
Revisions to the original proposal, based on robust community engagement and feedback, include:
- Relocating the proposed supportive housing apartments from Euclid Street to 14th Street and dedicating these apartments for seniors aged 55 and older
- Combining the 14th Street site with 1402 Wilshire Blvd. to concentrate building height closer to Wilshire and decrease height on 14th Street
- Adding a second resident manager at 14th Street as well as additional security features and personnel
- Removing 1146 16th St. from the proposal so the site can remain available for public parking
- Increasing the size of the smallest residences to be one-bedrooms rather than studios
- Providing vehicle queueing areas within the property lines to reduce congestion in neighboring alleys.
Tuesday’s Council action authorized city staff to enter into ground leases and development agreements for the properties at Euclid and 14th streets and to loan $13.5 million in Housing Trust Funds to HCHC for development, $6 million of which will be used for the acquisition of 1402 Wilshire Blvd.
“The city’s commitment to providing much-needed affordable and supportive housing, and 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,” Housing and Human Services Director Heather Averick said. “I’m looking forward to having 130 beautiful and safe homes for Santa Monicans who live and work in our city.”
As part of Tuesday’s approval, the City Council also directed staff to continue to work with HCHC on a good neighbor agreement, further evaluate perpendicular parking as a means to increase public parking and conduct ongoing assessment of security once in operation.
Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2026, pending HCHC’s securing of state and federal funding. The development is set to be completed in 2027.
To learn more about these developments, read the full staff report and this blog post.
Media Contact
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov