In a pair of unanimous votes, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission has approved two affordable and supportive housing developments in South Los Angeles.

The first, called Watts Works, is a joint venture between Decro Corporation, Daylight Community Development, and The People Concern.  Plans call for the construction of a four-story structure at 9502 S. Compton Avenue which would feature 24 apartments for very low-income residents and one manager's unit.

Studio One Eleven is designing the project, which would be built out of prefabricated modular units and arranged to preserve a 70-year-old avocado tree at the center of the property.  The building would place housing on its upper floors, while dedicated its ground level to a recreation room and other community spaces.

The Watts Works development is the result of the Measure HHH Housing Innovation Challenge, which is intended to find more cost-effective solutions to affordable housing construction.  Decro, Daylight, and The People Concern were awarded $23.8 million to pursue a variety of projects.

The second development approved by the Commission, slated for a property at 6576-6604 S. West Boulevard in Hyde Park, is being developed by A Community of Friends (ACOF).

Plans filed in November 2019 with the City of Los Angeles call for the construction of a four-story edifice featuring 64 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments - priced for low- and very low-income households - in addition to on-site supportive services.

FSY Architects is designing the low-rise structure, which would wrap around a podium-level courtyard.  Plans call for a mostly stucco exterior.

A Community of Friends has been granted expedited processing for the West Boulevard development via SB 35.  The provisions of that law are also being exercised to eliminate the project's parking requirement.

ACOF was granted $6.4 million in Measure HHH funding for the project last year - its total budget is estimated as $26.6 million.

The developer previously completed a similar project known as the Silver Star Apartments on an adjacent site.  Both properties are located a short walk north of the Crenshaw/LAX Line's under-construction Fairview Heights Station, where another affordable housing development is planned at a County-owned site.

Interested in finding affordable housing? Visit housing.lacity.org.