Affordable Housing Proposed Near University Campus

Exposition Park is slated to receive more affordable housing.

An application filed by Albert Bitong with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning calls for the construction of a new five-story residential building at 1252-1258 West 38th Street, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. The property is one block south of Exposition Boulevard and the Metro E Line’s right-of-way along the thoroughfare.

The proposal includes plans for 76 studio and one-bedroom apartments without on-site parking. Bitong, who is reportedly listed as both the property owner and applicant, is seeking approvals including citywide housing incentives that would allow the construction of a larger building than zoning rules normally permit.

All of the units, except for one manager’s apartment, will be set aside for low- and moderate-income renters. Low-income in Los Angeles County is categorized as an annual income of $84,850 for one person or $121,150 for a household of four; moderate income typically falls around $89,550 for one renter or $127,900 for a household of four.

The neighborhood surrounding the University of Southern California has seen several new multifamily developments in recent years, such as Abode Communities’ nearby Rolland Curtis Gardens apartments on Exposition Boulevard.

Last month, the Planning Commission approved a proposal from Martin Dream to replace a small commercial building at 900 West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with a six-story residential building. That plan calls for 32 one-bedroom apartments above roughly 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and parking for 17 vehicles. The Planning Commission approved density bonus incentives like what Bitong is seeking on West 38th Street, setting aside some units for affordable housing.

Other in-development projects in the area include Landmark Properties’ The Standard at Los Angeles at 3900 South Figueroa Street, which will include 429 studio, one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom apartments above 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. At 1020 West Exposition Boulevard, construction is underway for The Nest on Exposition, a four-story interim housing complex that will feature 25 apartments. Developers are also looking to demolish an existing townhome at 1158 West 37th Place to construct a new seven-story building with seven three-bedroom apartments.

— Chris Malone Méndez