Research & Innovations

From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles' press release:

Mayor Karen Bass joined with BRIDGE Housing – the leading nonprofit affordable housing developer on the West Coast – and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) today to celebrate the grand opening of Cypress View, a new affordable housing community within the $1 billion redevelopment of the Jordan Downs public housing complex in Watts.

Mayor Bass attended the ceremony alongside HACLA President and CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez and BRIDGE President and CEO Ken Lombard, along with dignitaries, service providers, financial partners, residents, and community members.

Cypress View features 119 new apartment homes ranging up to 5 bedrooms in size, including 106 units affordable for families earning 30%-80% of the Area Median Income and one manager’s unit. The remaining 12 apartments are offered at market rates. Twenty units are reserved for previous Jordan Downs residents.

“The grand opening of Cypress View represents the culmination of our work to comprehensively address issues related to housing, homelessness and the affordability crisis impacting so many across our city,” said Mayor Bass. “Since taking office, we have accelerated the building of affordable housing units, increasing the city’s housing supply and helping Angelenos stay in the communities they love, in the city they love. I want to thank HACLA CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez, and all those involved in this project, for not only creating much needed housing — but building a community.”

The community was built in conjunction with Pearl Park, a beautiful new community green space, and represents a key milestone in the transformation of the 1940s-era Jordan Downs public housing complex into a model urban village offering mixed-income housing, open space, retail, and resident support services.

"HACLA’s strategic $9.5 million contribution to Cypress View has served as a critical catalyst, leveraging over $90 million in federal, state, and private investment to advance the holistic revitalization of Jordan Downs,” said HACLA President and CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez. “Also, by exceeding HUD’s local hire benchmarks, we are creating a powerful economic ripple effect that extends far beyond housing to include job creation, infrastructure, and parks. This milestone reinforces our unwavering commitment to the Watts community, ensuring that legacy residents remain at the heart of a stable, sustainable, and affordable neighborhood they are proud to call home."

“The opening of Cypress View marks an exciting milestone in the decade-long revitalization of Jordan Downs that will serve families and strengthen the Watts community for generations to come,” said BRIDGE Housing President and CEO Ken Lombard. “This achievement is the result of an outstanding public-private partnership, addressing L.A.’s urgent housing crisis while providing residents with the dignity of a stable home they can afford.”

Cypress View is BRIDGE Housing’s fourth community in the sweeping Jordan Downs redevelopment, following Kalmia Rose (76 apartments), Cedar Grove (115 apartments), and Park Place (80 apartments). BRIDGE plans to develop three additional communities as part of the HACLA-led revitalization, one of the nation’s largest urban revitalization projects.

Cypress View reflects the shared vision of BRIDGE Housing and HACLA of pairing thoughtful design with meaningful community partnerships. Supportive services will be delivered by El Nido Family Centers, a trusted nonprofit that has served Angelenos since 1925. El Nido’s services include food distribution, case management, community building opportunities, and connections to resources to help residents achieve independence.

“For decades, El Nido has worked alongside families in Watts, and we’re proud to be part of the Cypress View community,” said Liz Herrera, CEO of El Nido Family Centers. “Since 2019, our partnership with BRIDGE Housing, HACLA, and the Jordan Downs community has been grounded in trust, respect, and a shared commitment to safety, stability, and access to opportunity.”

Amenities at the three-building development include community rooms, bicycle storage, in-unit and shared laundry facilities, onsite resident parking with EV chargers, and landscaped outdoor courtyards with BBQ grills. Adjacent Pearl Park offers water features, a children’s play area, shade structures, and an open lawn. The community is conveniently located within a short walk to transit at the Jordan Downs Plaza retail center, a medical clinic, pharmacy, high school, and public library. The marching band from Jordan High School provided musical entertainment at today’s festive ribbon-cutting.

“We are proud to partner in the revitalization of Jordan Downs, ensuring long-term affordability, preserving community, and delivering top notch housing and amenities to its residents,” said Hao Li, Originator, Citi Community Capital. “This project highlights the power of public-private partnerships, with Citi playing a key role in its success.”

“With the support of state investments from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) and Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) programs, Watts residents are benefitting from affordable housing as well as safer streets, access to parks and transit, a new shopping center and grocery store, and a neighborhood families can take pride in," said Erin Curtis, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council, which awarded $77 million to the overall Jordan Downs revitalization project and $35 million to the Watts community. “This incredible neighborhood transformation shows what happens when we invest in people, honoring their voice and building a healthier, more connected neighborhood.”

Mary Goodlow, 46, has called Jordan Downs home for most of her life. After decades of living in Jordan Down’s legacy public housing, the mother of three recently moved into a new apartment at Cypress View.

“At first, I wasn’t sure what the changes at Jordan Downs would mean for long-time residents like me. Fortunately, moving to Cypress View has been a wonderful experience,” Goodlow said, citing her outdoor porch and new appliances as some of her favorite features. “I’m excited for Jordan Downs to continue improving and providing opportunity for this community, because we deserve it.”

A significant proportion of the workforce that developed the project comprised workers and businesses who meet the HUD Section 3 Worker and Section 3 Business eligibility criteria. Over 180 new employment opportunities were created for Section 3 workers, including Jordan Downs and Watts residents. Additionally, over 50% of labor hours were performed by Section 3 Workers, exceeding HUD’s 25% labor hour benchmark goal. Section 3 Businesses received over $17 million in subcontract awards.

Young residents at Cypress View will have the opportunity to join the Building Bridges program, a summer skilled trades program created by BRIDGE Housing in partnership with Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. High school aged residents will receive a paycheck as well as hands-on experiences in welding and construction while working toward industry-recognized certifications.

Jordan Downs was built as semi-permanent housing for workers during World War II and converted into public housing the following decade. HACLA, BRIDGE Housing, and The Michaels Organization are leading the redevelopment of Jordan Downs. The ongoing redevelopment will provide 1,500 units of mixed-income housing, including one-for-one replacement of existing units, and a 115,000 square-foot retail center. The community also includes a robust job training and social services platform, a new 50,000+ square foot Community Center and nine acres of open space.

Cypress View was designed by architecture firm KTGY, and the general contractor was Portrait Construction. In addition to HACLA, BRIDGE Housing’s financial partners included U.S. Bank, Citibank, California Department of Housing and Community Development, and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.