Construction starts on seven-story Skid Row housing complex

With a cadre of local officials beaming nearby, construction got started Thursday on an ambitious new affordable apartment complex in Skid Row.

Called the Six Four Nine Lofts, the complex will go up at the intersection of Seventh and Wall streets, rising seven stories and bringing 55 units of housing and a new medical clinic to the area.

The project is among the first developments to be funded through Measure HHH—a ballot initiative approved by Los Angeles voters in November of 2016. The measure provides $1.2 billion in funding for permanent supportive housing developments aimed at homeless residents. Such projects include housing set aside for lower-income tenants, along with on-site services such as healthcare, counseling, and job training.

Nonprofit housing provider Skid Row Housing Trust is developing the project, which will include four floors of housing and a three-story medical facility. Los Angeles Christian Health Centers will operate the clinic, which is set to include dental, mental health, and optometry offices, along with a pharmacy.

So far, the city has agreed to provide funding for nine projects using Measure HHH dollars. Once complete, they’ll produce a combined 416 units of affordable housing. That’s not bad—but it’s just a small fraction of the 10,000 units city officials aim to fund over the next 10 years.