POMONA, Calif., Dec. 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LINC Housing , Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, and Monique King-Viehland, acting executive director of the Los Angeles Community Development Commission, joined residents today to celebrate the completion of Mosaic Gardens at Pomona, a 46-unit affordable housing community for low-income families earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income for Los Angeles County, as established by HUD.
The first residents moved in the week of Nov. 27. Endia, a single mother who fled an unhealthy relationship six months ago, and her two young children are among the new residents. Endia, who works at the front desk in a dental office, says she feels so grateful for their new home. They were "couch surfing," moving from one friend's house to the next as she struggled to set up a new life for her family. "I was so stressed out, and my three-year-old daughter kept asking when we would have our own place again," she said. "I would look at market rate rents, but I couldn't afford it. I felt so hopeless." She felt much more hopeful when she learned she was eligible for an apartment at Mosaic Gardens at Pomona. "It's unbelievable," she said.
Located at 1680 S. Garey Ave. in Pomona, Calif., the new complex features one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, a community room, a spacious courtyard with tot lot, and convenient parking. The courtyard is on a deck above subterranean parking and serves as a gathering space for families to talk, children to play, and all residents to get to know each other. The community room includes a large living room-type area, computers for resident use, and ample space for resident services programs and events. Three offices in the community space will provide areas for private meetings with case managers or other visiting service providers. The exterior of the building features a beautiful mural mosaic that offers a bird’s eye view - from the perspective of a native hawk - of various sites from the rich and colorful history of Pomona. The buildings depicted on the mural are based on actual sites that have existed in the city over the last hundred years. There's a second mural featured in the community room.
“Bringing investments and housing to the East San Gabriel Valley is vitally important to create jobs and improve the quality of life of our residents,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “The LINC Mosaic Gardens at Pomona project, a near-net zero energy facility, has 100% affordable housing units and will help us address the homelessness crisis by allocating half of the units to formerly homeless individuals and families. I am proud that the County’s $3.45 million investment right here in Pomona is a shining example of a successful public-private partnership that addresses the needs of our community.”
As a near net zero property, the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. Sustainability features that help achieve near net zero include 35 kW of solar photovoltaic to offset common area energy use, high-efficiency mechanical systems, and a foam roof for added insulation. The building also has high-performance windows and building envelope, and both the HVAC and water heating systems are very high efficiency. Other environmental features include low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, drought tolerant landscape, on-site recapture of rainwater, permeable paving surfaces, and healthy building materials throughout. Mosaic Gardens at Pomona has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and intends to pursue a LEED Platinum certification.
"LINC's commitment to sustainability shines at Mosaic Gardens at Pomona," said Rebecca Clark, LINC president and CEO. "We work to strengthen neighborhoods, and we do that through providing beautiful housing with life-enhancing supportive services, while also finding innovative ways to conserve energy and other precious resources."
Funding for the $19.7-million development comes from a number of sources including the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Funds, a construction to permanent loan from Citi, a Citi subordinate loan, and tax credit equity from Raymond James Tax Credit Funds Inc. The new complex also benefits from rental subsidies from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as administered by Brilliant Corners. Funding for predevelopment of the site was made possible by generous support from The California Endowment.
The community was designed by D33 Design and Planning, and the contractor is Walton Construction Services.
About LINC Housing Corporation LINC Housing, one of California's most productive nonprofit developers of affordable housing, is committed to building communities and strengthening neighborhoods for people underserved by the marketplace. LINC has helped create more than 7,800 homes in 76 communities throughout the state. The organization's properties are known for excellent design, outstanding management and life-enhancing services for its residents. LINC has more than 33 years of service to families, seniors, people with special needs, and local governments - helping to create sustainable communities via new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation, and historic preservation.
Media Contact: Holly Ferris, Ferris Communications, (562) 746-8461 mobile/text, holly@ferriscomm.com
