Urban Planners and Architects Unite to Fight Homelessness
WE ALL KNOW LOS ANGELES IS EXPERIENCING an unprecedented housing crisis. Due to the high cost of housing relative to income levels, the LA metro area now has the third highest rent burden in the nation. We need over half a million more affordable rental homes to meet the current demand.
The Backyard Homes Project, led by LA-Más and their collective of partners, leverages existing proper-ties to meet the need for new housing while also helping homeowners increase their property value.
A “one-stop shop,” the program offers homeowners design, permitting, construction and leasing support to build new ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) in their backyards. The program also offers an optional financing product that factors in the future rental income of the ADU. In exchange, homeowners rent their units to Section 8 voucher holders for a minimum of five years.
Compared to the traditional model of affordable housing, ADUs can be built more quickly at a lower cost and help homeowners build wealth.
| PHONE NUMBER | (213) 465-0410 |
| ADDRESS | 2806 Clearwater St, Los Angeles, CA 90039 |
| WEBSITE | https://www.mas.la/ |
| SERVICES PROVIDED | Community Development, Housing, Urban Design, Accessory Dwelling Units, Nonprofit, Affordable Housing, Grassroots, Low-Income Communities, Social Equity, Low-Income Renters, Architecture, Housing Projects, Alternative Housing, Civic Engagement, Homelessness |
| MISSION STATEMENT | LA-Más is an urban design nonprofit that helps lower-income and under-served communities shape their future through policy and architecture. We envision a world where city growth is equitable and self-directed, where the best local solutions are brought to a city-wide scale. |
| SERVICE AREAS |
Central Atwater Village • Baldwin Hills • Bel Air • Beverly Grove • Beverly Hills • Boyle Heights • Century City • Cheviot Hills • Chinatown • Commerce • Culver City • Dockweiler • Dodgertown • Downtown • East Hollywood • East Los Angeles • Echo Park • Edendale • Fairfax • Firestone Park • Gramercy Park • Griffith Park • Hancock Park • Hollywood • Hollywood Hills • Hyde Park • Inglewood • Jefferson Park • Koreatown • Ladera Heights • Larchmont Village • Leimert Park • Los Angeles • Los Feliz • Macarthur Park • Mid-Wilshire • Miracle Mile • Mount Olympus • Oakwood • Outpost Estates • Palms • Park Mesa Heights • Pico Heights • Pico-Robertson • Pico-Union • Rancho Park • Rimpau • Silver Lake • University Park • Vermont • Vermont Square • Vernon • View Park • Watts • West Adams • West Hollywood • Westlake • Westwood • Whitley Heights • Windsor Hills Conejo Valley Agoura Hills • Casa Conejo • Conejo Valley • Hidden Valley • Lake Sherwood • Newbury Park • Oak Park • Thousand Oaks • Westlake Village San Fernando Valley Arleta • Bell Canyon • Burbank • Calabasas • Canoga Park • Chatsworth • Encino • Granada Hills • Granada Hills North • Hewitt • Hidden Hills • Lake Balboa • Lakeside Park • Mission Hills • North Hills • North Hollywood • Northridge • Pacoima • Panorama City • Porter Ranch • Reseda • San Fernando • San Fernando Valley • Shadow Hills • Sherman Oaks • Sherman Village • Studio City • Sun Valley • Sunland • Sylmar • Tarzana • Toluca Lake • Toluca Terrace • Tujunga • Universal City • Valley Glen • Valley Village • Van Nuys • West Hills • Winnetka • Woodland Hills San Gabriel Valley Alhambra • Altadena • Arcadia • City of Industry • College Hills • Crescenta Highlands • Cypress Park • Duarte • Eagle Rock • East Pasadena • East San Gabriel • El Monte • Flintridge • Glassell Park • Glendale • Happy Valley • Hastings Ranch • Highland Park • La Canada • La Crescenta • Lincoln Heights • Monrovia • Monterey Hills • Monterey Park • Montrose • Mount Washington • Pasadena • Rosemead • Rossmoyne • San Gabriel • San Gabriel Valley • San Marino • San Rafael Hills • Sierra Madre • South Pasadena • Temple City • Verdugo Viejo • Woodbury Santa Clarita Valley & Simi Valley Canyon Country • Castaic • Fillmore • Moorpark • Newhall • Piru • Santa Clarita • Santa Paula • Santa Susana • Simi Valley • Somis • Stevenson Ranch • Valencia South Bay Alondra Park • Carson • Del Aire • Gardena • Harbor City • Harbor Gateway • Hawthorne • Hermosa Beach • Lawndale • Le Fresa • Lomita • Manhattan Beach • Palos Verdes Estates • Rancho Palos Verdes • Redondo Beach • Rolling Hills • Rolling Hills Estates • San Pedro • Seaside • South Bay • Terminal Island • Torrance • Watts • Willowbrook • Wilmington Westside Brentwood • El Segundo • Fox Hills • Lennox • Malibu • Mar Vista • Marina del Rey • Montana • Ocean Park • Pacific Palisades • Playa del Rey • Playa Vista • Santa Monica • Sawtelle • Topanga • Venice • West Los Angeles • Westchester • Westside |
How You Can Pitch In
Refer A Business
Let us know about your favorite local business. We’ll donate $10 to LA-Más for each recommendation.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The Backyard Homes Project is currently open to homeowners with properties in the City of LA and is set to expand to unincorporated LA County in 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis at www.mas.la/affordable-adus.
Contact adu@mas.la for more information.
