At a ceremony on April 11, non-profit developer A Community of Friends and Metro officially opened Lorena Plaza, a new affordable housing complex near the A Line's Indiana Station in Boyle Heights.
"Projects like Metro's Lorena Plaza exemplify a viable path to providing Angelenos with stable housing and opportunities through the Metro Joint Development Program—a program I had the honor of directing as Chair of Metro two years ago. Our goal was to create 10,000 housing units on Metro-owned properties by 2031, with at least half designated as affordable," said L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Hilda L. Solis in a statement. "Today, we celebrate not only one of many new affordable housing projects in the First District but also the collaboration of partners like A Community of Friends, who are crucial in working together to create meaningful solutions to housing challenges in Boyle Heights and throughout Los Angeles County."
Courtyard of Lorena PlazaGary Leonard
Named for its location at 1st and Lorena Streets, the project consists of a four-story featuring 49 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments above roughly 7,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The apartments will serve a mix of veterans, unhoused individuals and families, as well as households earning between 30 and 50 percent of the area median income level.
Practice, formerly GGA+, designed the contemporary podium-type building, which includes landscaped interior courtyards, a children's play area, a computer room, a fitness center, and offices for case management staff.
Ribbon cuttingGary Leonard
The development process for Lorena Plaza took more than 10 years as a result of a standoff between A Community of Friends and the owners of El Mercado, a neighboring marketplace and commercial center, who had sought to block construction of the project. El Mercado was joined in opposition by former Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar, who alleged that the project team had failed to generate support within the surrounding neighborhood. ACOF eventually agreed to make changes to the project, and Huizar dropped his objections to the project.
The project is the first Metro joint development to debut in 2025, but will not be the last. Completion of the 187-unit Vermont Santa Monica apartments is expected this summer in East Hollywood.
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- Lorena Plaza (Urbanize LA)
Looking for affordable housing? Visit lahousing.lacity.org/aahr and housing.lacounty.gov
