May 19 2016
LINC Housing continues to expand its portfolio of affordable housing as construction begins on Mosaic Gardens at Pomona. The new 46-home apartment complex is expected to welcome its first residents in late 2017.
Mosaic Gardens at Pomona, due to open in late 2017, will feature 46 affordable homes for formerly homeless and low-income residents.
Located at 1680 S. Garey Ave. in Pomona, Calif., Mosaic Gardens at Pomona will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for low-income families, with half of the apartments designated for formerly homeless households who are being served by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
"Mosaic Gardens at Pomona is part of LINC's initiative to integrate affordable housing with health resources and other services," said Rebecca Clark, LINC Housing's president and CEO. "We know that combining housing with health services increases positive outcomes for residents and strengthens neighborhoods overall. Even months before construction began, we were meeting with local service agencies, city officials and other advocates so we're sure to develop the best set of services possible."
During predevelopment of Mosaic Gardens at Pomona, LINC Housing sought input from local government officials, city staff, and community advocates. In addition, LINC staff participated in meetings of the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition, a group focused on working together to address issues surrounding homelessness. The Coalition includes more than 40 agencies including service providers, advocates, faith-based organizations, local government representatives, and county departments, as well as, homeless and formerly homeless people and concerned citizens.
A variety of resident services will be offered through LINC Cares, LINC's resident services department, and Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC), which has a contract with the county to provide intensive case management services to the 23 formerly homeless households that will call Mosaic Gardens at Pomona their home.
Funding for the $19.7-million development comes from a number of sources including the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Funds, a construction to permanent loan from Citi, a Citi subordinate loan, and tax credit equity from Raymond James Tax Credit Funds Inc. The 23 homeless units, which include one, two, and three bedrooms, will receive rental subsidies from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as administered by Brilliant Corners. Funding for predevelopment of the site was made possible by generous support from The California Endowment, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and Partners in Progress.
Residents of the new apartment community will benefit from convenient parking, a community room, and a spacious courtyard with tot lot. The courtyard will be on a deck above subterranean parking and will serve as a gathering space for families to talk, children to play, and all residents to get to know each other. The community room will include a large living room-type area, computers for resident use, and ample space for resident services programs and events. Three offices in the community building will provide space for private meetings with case managers, therapists or other visiting service providers.
The new complex will have a number of sustainability features including 35 kW of solar photovoltaic to offset common and resident use, high-efficiency mechanical systems, and a foam roof for added insulation. The building also has high-performance windows and building envelope, and both the HVAC and water heating systems are very high efficiency. Other environmental features include low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, drought tolerant landscape, on-site recapture of rainwater, permeable paving surfaces, and healthy building materials throughout. Southern California Edison provided support for the project's energy efficiency features through its Emerging Technologies program. Mosaic Gardens at Pomona has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and intends to pursue a LEED Platinum certification.
The community was designed by D33 Design and Planning, and the contractor is Walton Construction Services.