The Lakewood City Council recently allocated $1 million of its American Rescue Plan Act monies to support an affordable housing project in the city. The project is being built by the Living Assistance Support Alliance, or LASA.
Mayor Jason Whalen visited the LASA offices Friday to help raise awareness about the project – and snap a photo with the LASA team. The money allocated by the city will help with the third phase of the four-phase project.
“The Lakewood City Council is committed to seeing more affordable housing built in our city. We demonstrated this support by pledging $1 million of our federal ARPA allocation to help with LASA’s fundraising goal,” said Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen. “The city has a long history of supporting LASA and we are proud to continue that support with this financial contribution.”
Known as Gravelly Lake Commons, the development will add affordable and low-income housing to the city. The project is located at the corner of Gravelly Lake Drive, 59th Street SW and Fairlawn Drive SW. In total the project will feature 55 apartments targeted at people within the 30% to 60% area median income (AMI) bracket.
The city’s contribution will assist with the development of 25 permanent low-income housing units with one, two and three bedrooms. Phase one is already complete. It includes the LASA offices and 15 affordable housing units.
The second phase is fully funded and designed. It will add a hygiene center to the organization’s client services center. This will include two shower units and laundry, and community support space. This space will double as a warming and cooling center during extreme weather events.
The 25 low-income units will be built in the third phase. This portion is budgeted at $10.5 million. The city’s $1 million commitment brings it one step closer to its goal. The fourth phase will include an affordable daycare facility and 30 additional, permanent low-income units.
In addition to its financial contribution, the city of Lakewood is advocating at the state and federal level for more funding to support this project. There is a critical need for affordable and low-income housing options in our region. This project will help.
I would love to know when this was approved. I live adjacent to the listed project and heard nothing about it!
That explains the sign board where future changes are supposedly posted (the almost impossible to read yellow signs) that never had anything on it.
Thanks again for lowering the value of my property. But then again, there is not a City Council Member living within miles of this project. Wonder what would happen if LASA wanted to have a development in Oakbrook, or maybe on Thorne Lane.
You better sell then before everything is built!
An investment in Living Access Support Alliance (LASA) is an investment in community, the principle concern of Lakewood City Council, and the underlying reason for incorporation of Lakewood in 1996. We, all of us, are fortunate for the thoughtful dedication of city leadership to that objective since, and to the inspired vision of community that established LASA. Let’s see what becomes of this investment in Lakewood with a view toward the future and the improved values of community promised thereby. An investment in Living Access Support Alliance (LASA) is an investment in community, the principle concern of Lakewood City Council, and the underlying reason for incorporation of Lakewood in 1996. We, all of us, are fortunate for the thoughtful dedication of city leadership to that objective since, and to the inspired vision of community that established LASA. Let’s see what becomes of this investment in Lakewood with a view toward the future and the improved values of community promised thereby.
It’s really cool that we don’t call our Projects “Projects” like they do in the old cities of the East. Why would we want to (correctly) stigmatize the dens of degeneracy? Congratulations to all the neighbors! Welcome to Equity!