Las Flores affordable housing completed at 1834 14th Street in Santa Monica

At a ceremony on March 10, Community Corp. of Santa Monica and several elected officials marked the completion of Las Flores, a new affordable housing complex in the Pico neighborhood.

Located at 1834-1848 14th Street, the project consists of a four-story building featuring 73 one-, two-, and three-bedroom. Parking for residents and commercial users is located in a below-grade garage. Other common features include a playground, a community garden, a community room with a kitchen, a gym, a wellness studio, and an outdoor picnic area.

DE Architects designed Las Flores which features a series of offset cubic masses that were described in a staff report to the Santa Monica Architectural Review as "a concept of solids and voids." Corrugated metal panels are the primary exterior finish of the apartment complex. The project is intended to meet LEED Platinum standards, and features Energy Star appliances, EV charging stations, and solar panels.

“We’re thrilled to be able to open the doors to our newest affordable housing development right here in Santa Monica and provide much needed housing for those in need” said Community Corp.'s executive director Tara Barauskas in a news release. “This development is another example of our commitment to providing quality, affordable housing to our local community, and we are proud of the impact this project will have on the lives of its residents.”

In planning the Las Flores development, Community Corp. was the beneficiary of the state bill AB 1763, which relaxed zoning restrictions regarding height, density, and paring for qualified affordable housing developments. Prior to the enaction of the law, the project was envisioned as a smaller three-story, 55-unit apartment building.

Community Corp., which is based out of Santa Monica, recently built at a senior affordable housing complex a short distance north on 14th Street, and is also wrapping up work on a third project at a nearby site on Pico Boulevard.

Another non-profit developer, EAH Housing, broke ground last year on a fourth affordable housing complex one block north at the former site of Santa Monica Nikkei Hall.