An innovative permanent supportive housing facility consisting of 75 units was unveiled in East Hollywood on Thursday. The project, known as Avenida, was built under the state’s Project Homekey program and is being celebrated for its remarkable efficiency. Officials from Los Angeles County and the city of L.A. expressed their excitement over the fact that Avenida was completed in one-third of the usual time and for two-thirds of the cost typically associated with affordable housing projects.
The mastermind behind this remarkable achievement is Cristian Ahumada, the executive director and CEO of Holos Communities. Joining him at the grand opening were L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, L.A. City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, and other officials. Avenida is a former hotel that has been transformed into a cutting-edge housing solution.
Ahumada emphasized the importance of purchasing and developing vacant buildings for housing, particularly in light of the ongoing homelessness crisis. He called for increased collaboration between the city, county, and state to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness and struggling with rent burdens.
Project Homekey, a program introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to assist developers in acquiring and converting underutilized hotels and motels into permanent supportive housing. The streamlined process of Project Homekey has significantly reduced the time required to bring projects like Avenida to fruition by identifying and allocating the necessary resources.
Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, representing the Tenth District, expressed his concerns about the growing number of unhoused individuals in his district due to the scarcity of affordable housing and limited access to social services. He believes that Avenida demonstrates the positive outcomes that can be achieved when government entities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector collaborate for the greater good of their communities.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath commended Avenida as a model project that exemplifies the ongoing efforts of the city and county to identify and rehabilitate existing properties for housing purposes. She proudly welcomed Avenida as the first completed construction project under the Homekey Round 2 Permanent Supportive Housing initiative in L.A. County’s Third District. Horvath believes that Avenida’s transformation from an underutilized hotel into a place of hope and new beginnings for 75 unhoused individuals sets a positive precedent for future projects.
Avenida’s funding includes $25.2 million from Project Homekey, provided by the California departments of Housing & Community Development, and Business, Consumer Services and Housing for essential capital improvements. In addition, the county allocated $11.8 million, and $1.7 million was contributed by the CA Community Reinvestment Corporation. To ensure the well-being of the residents, the county’s Department of Health Services will provide $405,000 annually for health-related services.
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