General contractor R.D. Olson Construction says construction has started on the first phase of the redevelopment and expansion of the Rose Hill Courts public housing complex in northeast Los Angeles, led by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and developer Related California.
Withee Malcolm Architects designed the structure.
The development’s first phase is being financed with $31.8 million in tax-exempt bonds and $13.9 million in private equity raised through the sale of federal low-income housing tax credits. HACLA will provide up to $8.35 million during construction. The initial redevelopment stage will also be supported by $15.5 million in funding from the State of California department of Housing and Community Development through the Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities (AHSC) and Infill Infrastructure Grant programs.
As well, $8 million in AHSC grant funds were awarded to the City of Los Angeles to provide pedestrian safety upgrades in the immediate neighborhood and improvements in public transportation including six new bus shelters and eight battery electric buses.
Upon completion, Rose Hill Courts will nearly double in size to offer 185 affordable housing units for low, very low and extremely low-income families replacing the existing 100 units set on five acres. Built in 1942, Rose Hill Courts is one of Los Angeles’ oldest, aging public housing complexes.
The first phase includes the construction of two four-story wood frame buildings designed to achieve LEED certification with construction scheduled to complete at the end of 2022. Combined, Buildings A and B make up 103,000 square feet of living space with 51 one-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom, eight three-bedroom and four four-bedroom units. Building A also includes a 3,000 square-foot subterranean basement that makes use of the adjacent hill.
“Rose Hill Courts is our fourth affordable project under construction within a 10-mile radius in Los Angeles, evidence of the urgent need for affordable housing communities in the city,” R.D. Olson president Bill Wilhelm said in a statement. “We bring the right experience along with well-established relationships in the community and are successfully navigating the challenges of keeping the remaining 70-year-old residences operational during phase one of construction.”
Located at 4466 and 4486 Florizel St., Rose Hill Courts is near public transportation with bus access to downtown Los Angeles. All units will be deeply affordable and supported by the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funded regular Section 8 Project Based Vouchers and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) vouchers. HUD facilitated an expedited approval of the Section 18 demolition and disposition application, and the RAD conversion for the phase one redevelopment.
The first phase of the Rose Hill Courts project is supported by California Strategic Growth Council’s affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program with funds from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
