A vacant former church lot on Centinela Avenue in Inglewood is finally headed for construction, after the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency announced the closing of its first-ever construction loan to get the project moving. Sankofa Place at Centinela, a 120-unit affordable housing development planned for 400-410 Centinela Avenue and 521 E. Warren Lane, has an expected groundbreaking this month.
Urbanize LA reported that the project had previously been pegged at an estimated $44 million and that LACAHSA issued a $7.5 million loan. Sankofa Place is in Los Angeles County.
The loan closing represents a milestone for LACAHSA, which announced the closing of its first-ever construction loan for Sankofa Place.
A Joint Venture Years in the Making
Sankofa Place is a joint venture between Venice Community Housing, LINC Housing, and the Social Justice Learning Institute. Venice Community Housing, founded in 1988, operates 17 housing properties with more than 250 units across Los Angeles and maintains a regional pipeline of more than 500 additional units, according to the Commercial Observer.
The site itself was formerly home to a vacant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel and a surface parking lot, both of which are being demolished to make way for two new buildings, per the Federal Register. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors first approved up to $65 million in tax-exempt bond financing in July 2024, more than two years before the construction loan closed.
120 Units and a Nonprofit Headquarters
Beyond its residential component, the development will include an 18,000 to 20,000-square-foot community service facility that will serve as the new consolidated headquarters for co-developer Social Justice Learning Institute, complete with a podcast studio, library, meeting rooms, and a garden, according to AERO Collective.
The 120 planned residential units will serve residents earning 30% to 80% of the area median income.
State Funding for Off-Site Improvements
Sankofa Place received state funding through California's Super NOFA program for affordable housing in April 2024. Separately, state funding will support off-site infrastructure improvements, including new electric transit buses and a dedicated east-west bikeway running parallel to Florence Avenue.
Design Details for the Two-Building Complex
Designed by The Architects Collective and Aero Collective, the project spans two buildings ranging from four to seven stories, featuring a two-story brick colonnade, a rooftop crown, an outdoor courtyard, and a garden. The design approach reflects a broader trend among modern affordable developments to incorporate contextual masonry alongside generous outdoor amenity space.
With its construction loan now closed and a groundbreaking expected this month, Sankofa Place is poised to move from planning into construction.
