Holos Communities Breaks Ground on Celebrates Laurel Grove, Our Second Project Homekey Site
Holos Communities Executive Director & CEO Cristian Ahumada was joined by LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn (District 4), Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative Executive Director Cheri Todoroff and others for the ceremonial groundbreaking of Holos Communities’ newest Homekey site on Thursday, April 6th.
The project, known as Laurel Grove, will repurpose a former Motel 6 located off the 605 Freeway Slauson exit across from Pioneer High School into 97 studio apartments and a community park.
“Motel conversions are one of our most effective tools in our response to the homelessness crisis. They are quick and cost effective and I am proud that I have more Project Homekey motel conversion sites in my district than any other Supervisorial district in LA County,” said LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I am grateful for the support we have gotten from local residents here in West Whittier and I appreciate the care that Holos Communities has taken to make this project an asset to the neighborhood. I am looking forward to being back here next summer when there aren’t just motel rooms here but homes for 97 people who need them.”
When open, Laurel Grove will provide 97 units of housing and features several sustainability features for tenants and the community, including a pocket park that builds community and reduces temperatures during periods of extreme heat. Laurel Grove will be the second Holos property to feature a Living Lung – an extensive landscape of carefully selected trees and plants designed to reduce air, noise, and light pollution from the 605 freeway.
Recycled greywater from the building’s sinks and laundry will be used to irrigate both the pocket park and Living Lung, saving water used on site. As a rehab project, Laurel Grove recycles the entire building, avoiding the carbon emissions associated with tearing down a building and pouring new concrete.
“Each building that we develop has the power to clean the air, preserve and recycle water, provide open space, address food insecurity, increase wildfire resilience and provide opportunities for economic mobility – this is the future we’re working to build,” said Cristian Ahumada, Holos Communities Executive Director.
You can learn more about Laurel Grove by visiting the community page here.
Press at the laurel Grove Groundbreaking:
“Each building that we develop has the power to clean the air, preserve and recycle water, provide open space, address food insecurity, increase wildfire resilience and provide opportunities for economic mobility – this is the future we’re working to build.”
