UCLA Team Wins 1000 Homes Design Competition
By Mike Brown, MBA '09
1000 Homes is a multi-phase program aimed at activating the development of increased levels of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. 1000 Homes is a cooperative effort lead by the Urban Land Institute, in partnership with UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, Shelter Partnership, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and the Westside Urban Forum. This multi-phase program is an effort to educate practicing real estate professionals as well as, a new generation of developers, planners, service providers, and the cities in our region about this exciting and effective policy solution. The hope is that together, the fine minds participating in the program will come up with new ideas and solutions that are particular to our region and will bring Los Angeles one step closer to being a more prosperous, safe and healthy community for all of its citizens.
The first phase of 1000 Homes was a case competition wherein four teams of graduate students and young professionals from across Los Angeles were tasked with proposing a financeable, politically viable supportive housing project for their client. The clients were The City of Pomona, the City of Pasadena, the Hollywood Entertainment District (BID), and the US Department of Veterans’ affairs. The teams were brought up to speed with a learning day on April 10th, hosted the the Ziman Center at UCLA Anderson School of Management, that featured a “who’s who” of supportive housing developers and policy experts. The teams were then advised by a dedicated cadre of experienced professionals drawn from ULI-LA’s senior members throughout the 8-week competition, and presented their findings in Korn Hall at UCLA Anderson on June 5th. After careful deliberation, the panel of distinguished judges decided that the UCLA Anderson team had produced the most comprehensive proposal, and awarded them the prize.
The winning team consisted of first-year MBAs Ulric Huang, James Heugas, Sarah Price, Alex Bajc, Adam Eng, Janet Hsiao, Jason Johnson, and Soren Halladay. The team was partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. In the team’s own words:
“We focused on homeless veterans [who] are primarily single and male. We accordingly focused our efforts towards SRO units (single room occupancy). Our solution focused on the rehab of an existing 1950s style motel. These motels have fallen into a relatively unwanted area in terms of real estate properties. As motels, they are low density, have very small rooms, and lack the various amenities associated with more modern designs. As such, they cannot attract the typical motel customer. Occupancy levels go down, room rates then go down, and a cycle develops where an unattractive element begins to stay within these motels. Individuals who stay are typically more transient and have a higher propensity for drugs and, accordingly, crime.
Our solution of rehabbing this motel focuses on simple room renovations (addition of a kitchenette, new carpets, beds, etc.) with a major emphasis on the development of a community space within which case managers can meet with residents and community events can be held to foster a sense of community within the development. Many of these 50’s style motels have a similar design (I, L, or U shaped buildings), which lend themselves to the replicability of our model. Our hopes are that the elements of our subject motel can be applied beyond to other 50’s style motels.
Our solution provides benefits to all parties involved. For the VA, we provide an innovative solution to using their VASH Vouchers (similar to section 8 housing, but for veterans) on a project basis. We also allow them to minimize case manager travel time from site to site by, instead, coming to one location.
For local residents, we minimize disturbances to the community. Buildings will not be torn down, simply renovated, preserving the look of the community. More importantly, we replace a transient population with a permanent one, which should hopefully drive out an unwanted element and replace them with individuals who can contribute to the community. NIMBYism should effectively be reduced.
For developers, we provide an alternative to properties whose most attractive solution was previously complete redevelopment from the ground up.
For the local governments, we bring in permanent supportive housing to urban areas where, previously they were located in fringe areas with many similar developments next to one another.”
To view or download the team's winning design proposal, click here.
To learn more about 1000 Homes and its next Phases, visit www.uli-la.org/1000homes.
Source: UCLA Ziman Center
