Supportive Housing Opens in Van Nuys and the Valley as Los Angeles Works to Lower Building Costs

New supportive housing developments have opened their doors to residents in Van Nuys and the Valley while city officials and private developers pursue additional residential projects across the Los Angeles area. In Van Nuys, LA Family Housing and LAFHBUILDS celebrated the grand opening of a building called The Pano, which delivers 90 units of permanent supportive housing, according to a report by the Van Nuys News Press. In a separate project in the Valley, Urbanize LA reported that new supportive housing has opened at 8209 Sepulveda Blvd.

Alongside those openings, local leaders are focusing on ways to reduce construction costs across the city. According to a release from the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass and Rick Caruso highlighted progress in ongoing work to lower costs for both housing and commercial projects in order to make it easier to build in LA. Financial backing is also moving toward modular construction in the local market. The Real Deal reported that the modular housing arm of SoLa Impact has landed $32M in tax credits.

Private developers are also proposing new residential projects in Hollywood and Long Beach. In Hollywood, a developer plans to turn five homes into 32 as part of a low-density conversion strategy, according to reporting by The Real Deal. In Long Beach, Patch reported that 40 affordable apartments have been proposed for a property where development had long been stalled. At the state level, the Los Angeles Times reported on how California is fast-tracking the construction of much-needed college student housing.

Despite these local openings and development proposals, broader construction trends and policy debates continue to challenge the housing sector. The Los Angeles Times reported that housing starts have fallen to one of their weakest paces since the pandemic. Meanwhile, local housing policy remains under scrutiny at the municipal level, with CityWatch LA publishing an article questioning why Los Angeles City Hall is hostile to SRO housing nonprofits.