New Housing Build Fights Homeless Problem

SANTA MONICA, CA-A joint venture between Hollywood Housing Community Corp. and Step Up on Second has broken ground and its second homeless housing apartment complex. Located at 520 Colorado Ave., Step Up on Colorado will provide housing, medical and mental health treatment to the homeless population in Santa Monica. L.A. County supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky along with Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor and Executive Director of the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles Sean Rogan spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The 34-unit apartment complex will be built to LEED Silver certification standards with sustainable, durable and green materials and drought-tolerant landscaping. Near the EXPO line, residents will also have easy access to public transportation. Killefer Flammang Architects is designing the complex. The architecture firm has a long history designing housing for the homeless at an affordable cost. Last year, it designed the five-story, 69-unit homeless housing complex in Pershing Square. Shangri-La Construction is building the project and Carter Romanek Landscape Architects is handling the landscape design.