A seven-story building with 160 apartments has gone up at 7220 Maie Avenue in unincorporated Florence-Firestone, right next to the A Line's Florence Station, on a site that used to house a car wash. The project, known as Metro @ Florence Apartments, includes 72 units set aside as permanent supportive housing for some of the area's most vulnerable renters.
The development was built by Meta Housing Corp., according to Urbanize LA, which reported that construction broke ground in March on the site near the rail line. The building's 160 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments are reserved for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, the outlet reported, with the supportive-housing units specifically intended for residents who need on-site services alongside a place to live.
County supervisors approved financing for the project on October 17, voting to issue up to $51.3 million in multifamily housing mortgage revenue notes, per Urbanize LA's reporting on that vote. The Los Angeles County Development Authority had scheduled a public hearing on the financing for September 26, 2023, according to its own public notice, which described the funding as a loan to Metflo, LP, or an approved affiliate to cover acquisition, development, construction or rehabilitation of the project. That hearing was set to be conducted by teleconference only, the notice stated.
State Dollars Tied to Buses and Supportive Services
Beyond the county-backed notes, the California Strategic Growth Council awarded $30.8 million for the project through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. Urbanize LA reported that the state money was expected to cover on-site supportive services, laundry facilities and outdoor recreation areas, along with the purchase of nine zero-emission buses — a detail that underscores how the funding stream was designed to link housing dollars with transportation investment near the rail station.
Approved plans called for roughly 12,300 square feet of open space for residents, including a rooftop deck and courtyard, along with 3,100 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 2,100 square feet of community and office space. Parking for 120 vehicles was also part of the design, according to the same outlet's account of the project's approved specifications.
A Second Affordable Project Nearby
Metro @ Florence Apartments sits east across Maie Avenue from AMCAL's Florence Apartments, a separate 109-unit affordable housing complex built on the former site of the Florence Library. The two projects together have reshaped a stretch of Florence-Firestone around the Metro station with income-restricted housing, reflecting a broader pattern of building affordable units within easy reach of transit — a pairing also seen in developments built on Metro-owned land near subway stations elsewhere in the region, including in East Hollywood, as The Eastsider LA has reported.
