Transit Builds for Low-Income Residents

Metro Village has 70 units and 5,500 square feet of ground floor apartments.

LOS ANGELES—Transit-oriented development is coming to the low-income market. The development niche has exploded in recent years, with more and more projects in Los Angeles focusing on transit stops and accessibility; however, almost all of the units built have been market-rate apartments. Developer ROEM has now delivered Metro Village, a 70-unit multifamily complex in Baldwin Park for low-income families making 60% or less of the average area income. The project cost $27 million to develop, and is expected to fuel more growth in this market.

“Transit-oriented development needs to be affordable for the people who use public transit. Low- and moderate-income residents are the core transit riders,” Alex Sanchez, EVP of ROEM Development, tells GlobeSt.com. “Workers with household incomes of $50,000 or less make up almost 90% of all transit commuters in Los Angeles County, according to a 2013 Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority report that studied housing affordability and transit ridership. We know that when demand for housing near transit increases, so does the housing price, and we want to be sure that we don’t displace lower-income families who are depending on that transit to get to work, the doctor and school. There’s no doubt that developing mixed-income housing—with 20% or more units being affordable—is more challenging, but it’s necessary and good public policy.”