In a meeting dominated by COVID-19, the Los Angeles City Council quietly took steps toward bringing permanent supportive housing to Wilmington.
In a unanimous vote, Councilmembers voted to approve plans from LINC Housing Corporation to construct a three-story building on what is now a vacant lot at 1424 N. Deepwater Avenue. Plans call for 56 apartments - including 55 to be reserved for low-income seniors - in addition to on-site supportive services and a 19-car parking lot.
The contemporary low-rise structure was designed by D33 Design & Planning.
The vote by the City Council affirms an earlier decision by its Planning and Land Use Management Committee to deny an appeal from Lupe and Eddie Lopez, two neighboring homeowners who sought to block construction of the Deepwater apartment building. The appellants had argued that the proposed three-story building would be incompatible with surrounding single-family homes, and contended that the presence of abandoned oil wells on the site would pose a risk to future residents.
A letter sent by the Wilmington Neighborhood Council echoed these complaints, urging the City Council to deny LINC Housing's requested entitlements.
The project could be joined by a similar supportive housing development planned less than two miles south on Avalon Boulevard.
- 1424 N. Deepwater Avenue (Urbanize LA)
Interested in finding affordable housing? Visit housing.lacity.org.
