Affordable Housing in South Los Angeles: LIHTC's Impact on a Changing Neighborhood
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
DATA SOURCE
South Los Angeles, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, contains 2,407 units in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded affordable housing projects. Of these, 2,222 are designated as low-income units. This housing inventory addresses a portion of the community's housing needs.
The estimated 91,810 housing units in the neighborhood, based on the 2022 population of 239,623 and the national average household size of 2.61, include approximately 2.62% LIHTC-funded affordable housing units. This percentage suggests that LIHTC projects contribute to, but do not dominate, the affordable housing landscape in South Los Angeles.
The LIHTC program has invested $33,839,002 in project tax credits in South Los Angeles. This equates to an average federal funding of $14,058 per unit in LIHTC-funded projects. Affordable housing development in the area spans nearly three decades, with the earliest LIHTC project, Gilbert Lindsay Manor, completed in 1991, and the most recent projects, including 88th and Vermont, Metro @ Western, and Rolland Curtis East and West, completed in 2019.
The 2010s witnessed the highest number of LIHTC project completions, with 17 projects finished during this decade. Notable projects from this period include Menlo Park (2010), Vermont Avenue Apartments (2012), and King 1101 (2018).
The LIHTC-funded housing stock in South Los Angeles offers diverse unit types. The 2,407 total units comprise 331 efficiencies, 345 one-bedroom units, 445 two-bedroom units, 369 three-bedroom units, and 161 four-bedroom units. This variety accommodates different household sizes and needs within the community.
Some projects target specific populations. The 39 West Apts and Figueroa Court Apts, both completed in 1998, and Epworth Apts, finished in 2012, cater to residents with special needs. These projects likely provide additional support services for their target residents.
South Los Angeles has experienced demographic changes over the past decade concurrent with continued LIHTC development. The population increased from 221,647 in 2015 to 239,623 in 2022, an 8.1% growth. The median income rose from $34,982 in 2015 to $47,547 in 2022, a 35.9% increase.
Racial demographics have also shifted. The Hispanic population increased from 58% in 2015 to 63% in 2022, while the Black population decreased from 37% to 30% during the same period. The Asian and White populations experienced slight increases.
These demographic changes, particularly the population growth and rising median income, may have influenced the continued development of LIHTC projects in the area to meet evolving housing needs.
South Los Angeles contains a significant LIHTC-funded affordable housing presence, with 2,407 units across 44 projects constructed over nearly three decades. While these units represent a small percentage of the estimated housing inventory, they serve an important role in providing affordable options. The diverse unit types and targeted projects for special needs populations demonstrate efforts to address varied housing requirements. The neighborhood's changing demographics, including population growth and increasing median income, have coincided with ongoing LIHTC development, reflecting the dynamic nature of affordable housing needs in the community.
