Campaign announced to build affordable housing AND more parking in
Venice
By Yasmin
Tong
“Housing Over
Parking,” a community-based dialogue about an affordable housing proposal
has been launched by Venice Community Housing Corporation (VCHC). The campaign
is promoting a plan to convert an abandoned railroad right of way into
affordable family housing. VCHC is a 15-year-old, non-profit Venice corporation
that creates and preserves permanently affordable housing.
“This could be the last opportunity
to create permanent affordable housing in Venice that helps to preserve the
unique mix of people and businesses that make this neighborhood a destination
for people in Los Angeles and from around the world,” said Steve Clare,
founder and Executive Director of VCHC. “We are eager to include community
members in a dialogue about the future of Venice and look forward to responding
to community concerns about the proposal.” The campaign will continue over
the next several months and allow for community feedback and collaboration about
affordable housing in Venice and particularly the five-site development
proposal.
The proposed Railroad Right
of Way (RRROW) apartments development includes the city-owned Pacific Electric
Railroad right of way extending four blocks along Electric Avenue from Venice
Boulevard to Santa Clara Avenue and the triangular lot at the southwest corner
of Rose Avenue and Main Street. The properties today are vacant or provide
public parking, both free and metered. The development proposal seeks to
preserve an equal or greater amount of public parking. “We want to provide
more public parking than what is currently available while still accommodating
the needs of potential residents,” says Clare.
VCHC’s current design concept
could provide for approximately 125 new permanently affordable apartments and up
to 290 parking spaces. Envisioned is the development of a two-level parking
structure along Electric Avenue near Venice Boulevard, three buildings with two
levels of housing above ground-floor parking along Electric Avenue, and a three-
or four-story building on the corner of Rose Avenue and Main Street that could
include two levels of parking and up to 2,000 square feet of commercial space.
“The RRROW concept could
potentially house current and former Venice residents displaced by
gentrification, and others who are hard working, but too poor to afford a nice
place to live,” says Clare. Currently in Venice, more than 72 percent of
households rent and 38 percent pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent,
a standard set by HUD to measure housing affordability.
VCHC staff are available to present
the affordable housing design proposal and to engage in discussions regarding
the plan with local community groups, service organizations, business owners and
concerned individuals. VCHC can be contacted at 310-399-4100, ext. 111 or
RRROW@vchcorp.org for additional information.
Yasmin Tong works for
Venice Community Housing Corporation.
Posted: Fri - August 1, 2003 at 08:17 PM