Construction is set to begin on Mercy Housing California’s first new affordable community solely focused on serving seniors (aged 62 years and older) who have experienced homelessness. Located at 14536 West Burbank Boulevard in the Sherman Oaks community of Los Angeles, Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing will feature 54 rental apartments and a community room, as well as the provision of critical social services onsite. Other amenities include drought-tolerant landscaping, a resident roof deck garden, and subterranean parking. The incorporation of universal design elements throughout the development allows for future residents to experience an accessible and equitable living space. This permanent supportive housing community comes at a critical moment for Los Angeles’s most vulnerable seniors. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2020 point-in-time report found a disturbing 20% increase of homeless residents aged 62 and older compared to 2019’s count. At Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing, Mercy Housing California will draw on decades of experience providing permanent supportive housing for individuals who have experienced homelessness to provide the targeted services this community needs.

Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing serves as another example of collaboration between the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and the affordable housing community to provide safe and secure housing for persons experiencing homelessness. Through the incorporation of crucial Measure H and Proposition HHH resources, future residents, living independently in secure apartments, will have access to supportive services for physical and mental well-being.

In November of 2018 Mercy Housing California embarked on a comprehensive community engagement process to meet with neighbors, local leaders, and stakeholders. Initial meetings were also held with Neighborhood Watch block captains, Council District 4, and the local reporting officer of the Los Angeles Police Department. Various residents assisted us with hosting meetings in their homes which allowed us to really hear their thoughts, suggestions, and concerns about the development early on. These topics formed the basis for future community meetings and helped us dig deeper into how to best address concerns. After this initial round of meetings, we held large community meetings to discuss design issues and met with the Planning and Land Use Committee of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. We also invited the community to tour our El Monte Veterans Village to meet residents and staff and to better understand the types of programs and services offered, and to experience first-hand how our properties are managed. In May 2019 we presented to the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council and the development was unanimously approved. MHC set up an informative website for the project to keep the community informed of the project’s progress and to offer a place for them to ask questions and keep the dialogue open as it moves through the various stages of development.

For updates and to learn more about Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing, please visit www.courb.co/bblvd.

Words from Our Partners

Mercy Housing California is pleased to partner with many outstanding leaders on this transformative project.

“In our collective fight against homelessness, increasing our city’s stock of permanent supportive housing is an absolutely integral piece of the puzzle. We enthusiastically support Mercy Housing’s planned housing community in helping to fulfill this need, and in serving the distinctly vulnerable population of seniors exiting homelessness in our district.” – Councilmember Nithya Raman, Los Angeles City Council District 4

“In recent years, the combination of unlimited rising rents and fixed incomes has forced more and more seniors into homelessness,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. “This new building will provide housing for 54 vulnerable seniors and provide a place for them to live out their years in security and dignity.” – 3rd Los Angeles County Supervisorial District

“The Housing + Community Investment Department of the City of Los Angeles (“HCIDLA”) is proud to work with Mercy Housing California on the Sherman Oaks Senior Housing development in the Van Nuys neighborhood. When completed, Sherman Oaks Senior Housing will provide 54 units for seniors who have experienced homelessness or housing instability. HCIDLA financially assisted the development by providing a Proposition HHH loan in the amount of $9.3 million as well as tax exempt bond financing. Congratulations to Mercy Housing California’s entire project team on their commitment to provide permanent supportive housing to end homelessness. Sherman Oaks Senior Housing is the 60th Prop HHH funded development to start construction.” – Housing + Community Investment Department of the City of Los Angeles

HACLA is pleased to partner again with Mercy Housing California. Sherman Oaks Senior Housing Apartments will provide much needed permanent supportive housing to homeless and chronically homeless seniors. HACLA has committed 54 project-based vouchers to Sherman Oaks Senior Housing, providing an estimated $18 million in operating subsidy over a 20 year contract term. – Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) Director of Section 8 Carlos Van Natter

“We are proud to be a part of the collaborative effort that will brighten the golden years for residents at the Burbank Boulevard Senior Housing development,” said Emilio Salas, Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) Executive Director. “This permanent supportive housing will help provide seniors experiencing homelessness a better quality of life, offering access to social services and affordable housing.”

“As California’s nonprofit affordable housing investor, Merritt is dedicated to working with mission-aligned developers to fill gaps in the market to make the most challenging affordable housing projects possible. Merritt and Mercy Housing have a long history together, financing just such projects. With Sherman Oaks, we were pleased to provide equity, helping the City of Los Angeles to address the homelessness crisis and further the goals of Proposition HHH, while providing Mercy Housing with a partner committed to its needs and dedicated to its long-term nonprofit mission.” – Ari Beliak, President and CEO, Merritt Community Capital Corporation

“California Bank & Trust (CB&T), a division of Zions Bancorporation, is proud to help finance a permanent and supportive housing project for low-income seniors in the San Fernando Valley,” said Mark Wolf, Affordable Housing Manager at CB&T. “Mercy is a premier affordable housing developer and we look forward to working with them and Merritt Community Capital on more projects like this in the future.”