BRIDGE Housing’s Kalmia Rose brings 76 new homes to Los Angeles.
The largest affordable housing redevelopment project in Los Angeles took another step forward with the opening of the 76-unit Kalmia Rose.
The community is the seventh phase in the $1 billion redevelopment of the historic Jordan Downs public housing complex in Watts.
“The opening of Kalmia Rose is a milestone in a decade-long effort to transform Jordan Downs into a thriving, inclusive community,” said developer Ken Lombard, president and CEO of BRIDGE Housing. “We’re honored to stand with our partners to mark this latest step in delivering on our promise to provide beautiful affordable housing, expanded opportunity for residents, and lasting investment in Watts.”
The property features 76 new apartment homes, including 61 that are affordable for families earning 30% to 60% of the area median income and 14 market-rate units, along with one manager’s unit. More than half of the units are reserved for Jordan Downs residents, ensuring that families can stay rooted in their community while gaining access to the new apartments.
Jordan Downs was built in the 1940s as semi-permanent housing for workers during World War II and converted into public housing the following decade. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), BRIDGE Housing, and The Michaels Organization have partnered to redevelop the original 700-unit enclave into a mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood that benefits residents as well as the surrounding Watts neighborhood. One of the largest urban redevelopment investments in the nation, Jordan Downs will ultimately include more than 1,500 homes, a 115,000-square-foot retail center, and 9 acres of open space.
“Kalmia Rose highlights the power of public-private collaboration to both conceive and achieve a bold vision for Jordan Downs, the largest housing redevelopment project in L.A.’s history,” said HACLA president and CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez.
Kalmia Rose is BRIDGE Housing’s third new community at Jordan Downs, following the 115-unit Cedar Grove and the 80-unit Park Place. BRIDGE is planning additional new communities as part of the overhaul led by HACLA.
El Nido Family Centers, a nonprofit that has served Los Angeles since 1925, is coordinating on-site services, including distributing food, organizing community social events, and connecting Kalmia Rose residents with a range of professionals to support their stability, well-being, and economic opportunity.
One standout program that includes Kalmia Rose residents is a partnership between BRIDGE Housing and Harbor Freight Tools for Schools for a summer program that offers high school students hands-on welding and construction training, a paycheck, and the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications.
In addition to HACLA, BRIDGE Housing’s financial partners for the $54 million development include Wells Fargo, California Department of Housing and Community Development, California Community Reinvestment Corp., California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Kalmia Rose was designed by architecture firm KTGY, and the general contractor was Portrait Construction.
