Durae Senior Apartments

Durae Senior Apartments was developed by Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), Decro Alpha Corporation and the Korean Resource Center (KRC), and provides 67 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors on two separate sites in the Koreatown/Wilshire neighborhood in Los Angeles, at 900 Crenshaw Boulevard and 540 South Kingsley Drive, respectively.. 16 of the units are studios, 49 are one-bedroom units, and two one-bedroom manager’s units. KRC provides culturally specific services for the senior residents, many of whom are monolingual Korean-speaking. The lack of senior specific affordable housing has been one of the main obstacles to dignified lives for low-income seniors particularly as housing prices continue to rise in Los Angeles. The building establishes a new precedent for what can be achieved in gentrifying communities of color in Los Angeles. “Durae” is a Korean word that roughly describes the ancient agrarian practice of community barn-raising. The spirit of helping one another is apt for Durae Senior Apartments, where it took a village to build this senior affordable housing complex, which was nearly ten years in the making. After surviving the Great Recession, it is now part of the solution to the local housing crisis. LTSC was able to weather the foreclosure crisis with a two-pronged approach: adding a third development partner and acquiring an additional site, which provided an economy of scale as well as a net increase in the total number of units. Koreatown, historically known for affordable rent-controlled apartments, has been experiencing a wave of gentrification with new luxury apartments under construction in recent years, exacerbating the housing crisis. Durae Senior Apartments received over 3,000 applications in just 17 days. This extreme demand for affordable housing is evidence of the dire importance of increasing housing available, especially for more vulnerable populations like seniors. All units are affordable for seniors (ages 62 and above) with income ranges from 30% to 50% of the average median income of Los Angeles County. Design of the Durae Crenshaw House building integrates seamlessly with the neighborhood’s mixed zoning by combining a strong façade fronting Crenshaw with a more residential-friendly courtyard at the site’s core. Each apartment building includes secured subterranean parking, a large landscaped central courtyard, on-site laundry facilities and a community room with a kitchen. In addition, a property management office is located on the ground floor. The building has been designed to accommodate seniors at different stages in the aging process with various physical abilities. Individual units have grab bars, are pre-wired for emergency call systems and have no slip surfaces. It is projected that Durae Senior Apartments will exceed California’s Energy Efficiency Standards by over 20%. In addition to providing high quality housing, the development offers community and social service space to its residents. On-site resident services provided by Korean Resource Center will include social and cultural services for seniors to maintain an active and connected lifestyle and provide any needed referrals to off-site health services. A resident manager will also live on-site to assist residents capable of independent living.