Built using modular construction technology, the new Skid Row-area permanent supportive housing community provides 93 affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness, as well as free onsite services designed to promote stability and wellness.

At the Corner of Sixth and San Julian Streets 

Officials, residents, and many valued community partners gathered with nonprofit affordable housing developer Mercy Housing California (MHC) today to celebrate the opening of 6th Street Place, a six-story permanent supportive housing community at the corner of Sixth and San Julian Streets. Located at a major intersection of Skid Row, home to one of the highest regional concentrations of unsheltered homelessness in the country, this striking mid-rise residential development represents a positive step forward in the City of Los Angeles’s pursuit of housing for all.

“Despite the challenges many of its residents have endured, Skid Row is home to a vibrant community of artists, activists, and service providers, and it is our hope that 6th Street Place will come to represent proud new beginnings for the people who call it home as well as their neighbors,” said Doug Shoemaker, President of Mercy Housing California. “Angelenos experiencing homelessness deserve dignified, permanent housing opportunities, and we are grateful to our partners for stepping up to help us meet this urgent need.”

Skid Row Gets New Permanent Supportive Housing Community

The new permanent supportive housing community was brought to life thanks to significant investment and collaboration from public and private partners, including the City of Los Angeles via voter-approved bond Measure HHH, the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), JPMorgan Chase, and the National Equity Fund (NEF). Supportive services will be provided onsite by The People Concern, one of the area’s largest social service agencies, bringing over 57 years of experience serving marginalized communities in Greater Los Angeles. Mercy Housing will provide onsite property management as well as resident services.

MHC utilized offsite modular construction to build 6th Street Place. Apartments were assembled in an offsite factory and then stacked together, bringing more predictability as well as cost-efficiency and time savings to the development process. The building was framed in a matter of weeks – a process that can stretch to months in traditional stick-built construction. Onsite amenities include a lobby, recreational space, a community room, generous bike storage, property management and resident services offices, and a courtyard.

Public Art Highlights Community Facade

The building façade will soon be adorned with significant public art, beautifying the area while honoring the contributions of Skid Row’s creative community members. Work is underway to recreate the revered “Skid Row City Limit” mural, created by an artist group led by the late General Jeff Page. When discussing plans for the mural, MHC facilitated meetings with artists and activists who hold deep connections in the Skid Row community and enlisted some of the same local artists who had partnered with General Jeff on the mural to repaint it in its original location after the close of construction. Additionally, a prominent front-facing wall will soon feature a projected scroll showing artworks created by 6th Street Place residents and their neighbors, to be enjoyed by passersby every evening.

6th Street Place has already been recognized with a Downtown Los Angeles Rose Award for Permanent Supportive Housing from the Downtown Breakfast Club. The development is the first of three Los Angeles County developments MHC is scheduled to unveil in 2024. Heritage Gardens, a senior community in Long Beach, will open its doors this summer and will be followed by 3552 Whittier Boulevard, another permanent supportive housing community built using modular construction in Boyle Heights.

HEAR FROM OUR PARTNERS…

“This is the 73rd HHH project in the city, adding 93 units of much-needed supportive housing to provide services and homes to individuals experiencing homelessness. LAHD is grateful for its partnership with Mercy Housing in developing this creative and welcoming development,” said LAHD General Manager Ann Sewill.

“HACLA is proud to partner with Mercy Housing California and the City of Los Angeles to bring quality, affordable, permanent supportive housing to unhoused Angelenos in one of the most impacted areas of our city, Skid Row,” said HACLA President & CEO, Doug Guthrie. “6th Street Place is one of six projects that Mercy Housing has in our Project-Based Voucher Program and we look forward to more growth as we work towards our common goal of providing solutions for this pervasive issue affecting Los Angeles.”

“6th Street Place marks the LACDA’s inaugural venture into modular development funding,” said Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director. “Not only were we inspired by the modern modular design principles, but the site’s position in the heart of Skid Row and the collaboration with so many organizations who influenced the design and programming, serve as a stellar foundation to properly address the needs of its residents.”

“There continues to be a vital need for more affordable and permanent supportive housing in the heart of Los Angeles and to address the needs of our neighbors who are unhoused,” said Cécile Chalifour, Head of the West Region, Chase Community Development Banking. “We’re committed to working with industry leaders like Mercy Housing to help close that housing gap by supporting communities that bring more permanent housing and supportive services to those who need it most.”

“The opening of 6th Street Place marks a continuation of our decades-long dedication to providing comprehensive care and support in Skid Row. We applaud Mercy Housing’s thought leadership to bring more affordable housing to our community in an innovative way and appreciate the strong collaboration with numerous public and private stakeholders. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to further our work, serving and empowering communities right here in the heart of Los Angeles,” said John Maceri, CEO of The People Concern.

FAST FACTS ABOUT 6TH STREET PLACE

Name: 6th Street Place

Address: 401 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA.

Units: 93 affordable units plus one management unit

Housing Type: Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

Funders: City of Los Angeles via Measure HHH, Los Angeles Housing Department, The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Development Authority, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, JPMorgan Chase, and the National Equity Fund

Property Management: Mercy Housing Management Group

Resident Services: Mercy Housing California

Case Management: The People Concern

Developer: Mercy Housing California

Architect: TCA Architects

General Contractor: Suffolk

Modular Contractor: Guerdon

Architectural images are available here

About Mercy Housing California

Mercy Housing California (MHC) is the largest regional branch of Mercy Housing, Inc. (MHI), a leading national affordable housing nonprofit headquartered in Denver, CO, founded in 1981. MHC’s mission is to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by developing, financing, and operating affordable, program-enriched housing for families, seniors, and people with special needs who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities.

MHC owns 159 properties across 36 California counties, serving low- and very-low-income working families, seniors, people who have experienced homelessness, people living with HIV/AIDS, and people with disabilities. To learn more about MHC, please visit mercyhousing.org/California

For More Information:

Rosalyn Sternberg, Regional Communications Manager, Mercy Housing California

rosalyn.sternberg@mercyhousing.org