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The Chesterfield Starts Construction in L.A.

by Wakeland Staff
January 5, 2021

​LOS ANGELES - Wakeland has begun work that will address the growing need for supportive housing in the City of Los Angeles with the start of construction on The Chesterfield, a new housing development for formerly homeless seniors in South L.A.
 
On January 5, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson attended a groundbreaking ceremony for this community of 42 supportive homes, expected to open in mid-2022.
 
“In 2019, there were 125,000 low-income seniors in the City of Los Angeles, but just 7,800 affordable units for seniors,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The Chesterfield is a small but important step to remedy that imbalance – to make sure older Angelenos have a place to rest their head at night and to give the supportive services they need to be healthy and active.”
 
Residents at The Chesterfield will benefit from wrap-around services provided by St. Joseph Center, including dedicated case management, physical and mental health care, employment training and peer support.
 
“The Chesterfield is very meaningful for us. We have other developments like this which serve seniors who have been homeless while they are sick with serious health conditions and we’ve seen the remarkable changes that happen once they have a place to live,” said Wakeland’s VP/COO Rebecca Louie. “Within 48 hours of them having a door they can close, a bed, a shower – the transformations are extraordinary.”
 
Councilmember Harris-Dawson said, "We must continue our efforts to build permanent supportive housing as well as affordable units at every income level. The intersections of race and class disproportionately impact our Black and Brown seniors, making them especially vulnerable to becoming homeless. The Chesterfield is a step towards creating a supportive community for formerly homeless seniors and connecting them to the resources they need to thrive.”
 
The Chesterfield was designed by Abode Communities and is being built by R.D. Olson Construction.
 
Financing for The Chesterfield draws on a unique mix of sources including state tax credits, infill funding, private investors, City of Los Angeles HHH funds and Los Angeles County’s No Place Like Home program for affordable housing.

L.A. County Development Authority (LACDA) Acting Executive Director Emilio Salas said, “In an effort to address the homelessness crisis, the County has consistently played an active role in collaborating with partners to provide shelter for as many residents as possible. The LACDA is a proud investor of The Chesterfield housing development and is honored to create transformational change for some of our most vulnerable populations.”