Los Angeles opens 187-unit Santa Monica & Vermont affordable apartments above Metro station

City and Metro representatives on June 3 marked the grand opening of the Santa Monica & Vermont Apartments, a 187-unit development built on Metro-owned land designed to pair affordable housing directly with rail service. A Metro presenter said the agency is pursuing joint development on property near transit to "reduce long commutes, lower transportation costs, and keep people closer to jobs, schools, and neighborhoods." (Speaker 12)

The project was presented as a collaboration between Metro and the Little Tokyo Service Center to provide "deeply affordable" and permanent supportive housing adjacent to a station in East Hollywood. Officials said building on transit property is part of broader efforts across Los Angeles to link where people live with how they travel and to expand access to reliable public transit for low-income residents. The ceremony included remarks from multiple partners and residents who described the complex as a "station in life" for working families.

Metro representatives framed the development as part of a larger, long-term strategy: the agency noted its system now supports approximately 1,000,000 boardings per weekday and is using station-area land for housing development through its joint-development program. Speakers credited cooperation among Metro, the City of Los Angeles and nonprofit partners, and cited the project's potential to shorten commutes and lower transportation costs for residents.

Residents and community leaders at the opening described opportunities the project offers for families to save money, pursue education and build stability. City partners emphasized the project includes both affordable housing units and permanent supportive housing to serve people with higher barriers to housing stability.

The opening follows Metro’s stated goal of integrating transportation and housing policy; organizers said the site will offer direct access to bus lines and rail service and contain on-site support services coordinated with local partners. No formal council vote on this project was recorded in the segments covering the ceremony.

The Santa Monica & Vermont Apartments formal opening and remarks were presented at the event; project partners noted ongoing coordination with city and county agencies around operations and services.