Funding will support 122-unit development downtown and sustainable transportation projects as part of statewide $835M awards
Santa Monica has been awarded nearly $50 million in state funding to build affordable housing and expand eco-friendly transportation options, officials announced.
The California Strategic Growth Council approved a $49.9 million grant last week for the city’s 1318 4th Street project through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, part of a record $835 million distributed to 21 projects statewide.
Of the award, $35 million will fund construction of a six-story, 122-unit affordable housing complex developed by nonprofit EAH Housing at the former site of Parking Structure 3 in downtown Santa Monica. The development, which includes ground-floor commercial space, will feature studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments restricted for low-income residents, with 50 units set aside as permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals.
An additional $14.3 million will support transportation improvements, including the purchase of five zero-emission battery electric buses for the Big Blue Bus fleet, installation of bus shelters at five stops, upgrades to create a two-way protected bikeway along 14th Street, and accessibility enhancements to curb ramps.
A further $150,000 is allocated for anti-displacement measures, including creating a rent registry for non-rent-controlled properties.
“This funding is a crucial first step… and has the potential to accelerate the project timeline by up to one year,” said Acting Housing Director Natalie Verlinich.
Transportation Director Anuj Gupta called the grant “transformative,” noting it advances goals for safe, sustainable mobility ahead of major regional events.
The statewide round, the program’s second-largest, will support nearly 2,400 rent-restricted homes and various green transportation initiatives, reducing an estimated 897,771 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
