At the long, busy corner of 54th Street and Western Avenue in South Los Angeles, a new four-story neighbor has officially arrived. The Carlton, an affordable housing development built by nonprofit Abode Communities, is now complete and bringing 60 new studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments online for transitional-age youth experiencing homelessness and low-income families. Contractor Morley Builders announced construction was wrapped up in a recent social media update.
Project details
According to Morley Builders, The Carlton comes in at roughly 51,000 square feet and rises four stories. Inside are 60 homes in total: 30 studios, 15 one-bedrooms, 15 two-bedrooms, plus a manager unit. Shared amenities include a community room, on-site laundry, a central courtyard with a children’s play area, secure bicycle parking, and about 20 surface parking stalls. Local reporting places the completed address at 5407 S. Western Ave., right at the intersection of 54th and Western.
Financing and public support
The Carlton was financed in part with low-income housing tax credits along with state and local funding sources, according to state tax-credit materials and local coverage. Records from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee show the project pursued tax-credit reservations, while additional project-based rental subsidies and housing commitments helped close remaining funding gaps. Those public commitments were spotlighted when Abode broke ground on this building and a nearby sister development in 2024, signaling a deliberate push to grow South L.A.’s affordable housing pipeline.
Supportive services and residents
Abode plans to layer in on-site support through its Beyond Homes program, offering residents access to services, job training, and stability resources, according to the developer. The building is designed for families and transitional-age youth, with a mix of general affordable units and supportive units referred through the county system. “It’s our goal to prevent families from falling into homelessness,” Abode Communities CEO Holly Benson said at the project’s groundbreaking, as reported by the Los Angeles Sentinel.
Where this fits in Abode's pipeline
The Carlton was announced alongside a companion project on Central Avenue and joins several other Abode developments across South L.A. and nearby neighborhoods as the nonprofit scales up service-enriched housing in the city, according to Urbanize LA. Contractor and design materials note that The Carlton is targeting sustainable building standards while offering family-friendly amenities meant to root long-term residents in the community. The project reflects a broader citywide strategy to combine permanent affordable homes with embedded supportive services in areas facing high housing need.
Leasing and how to apply
Marketing materials list the property’s address as 5407 S. Western Ave. and state that applications for the general affordable units were processed through a housing lottery held in September 2025. Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) unit referrals are handled through the county’s Coordinated Entry System. Prospective renters and community members can find current leasing and contact information in the Los Angeles Housing Department’s registry for the property, which also includes property-management contact details for Abode Communities. The Los Angeles Housing Department and the developer maintain the most up-to-date intake and waitlist information.
