L.A. Metro cuts ribbon on new Santa Monic TOD project
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) joined developer Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) to cut the ribbon on the Santa Monica Vermont Apartments, a transit-oriented development (TOD) of mixed-use housing for low-income households. The new TOD is located adjacent to the L.A. Metro B Line Vermont/Santa Monica station in East Hollywood.
“The Santa Monica Vermont Apartments show how we can bring housing and transit together to better serve our communities,” said L.A. Metro Board Chair Fernando Dutra. “Reliable transit within reach helps create more connected, resilient neighborhoods and expands access to opportunity for working families.”
Santa Monica Vermont Apartments include two buildings with 185 income-based affordable apartments and two property managers’ units above 20,000 square feet of commercial space. Residential units consist of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The project’s 185 units are designed and billed as affordable for low-income households, with half of the units reserved as permanent supportive housing for formerly unhoused individuals. Amenities of the site include supportive services, community space and a planned health center providing dental and vision services to the East Hollywood community. The project also hosts improvements to the plaza and station area of the Vermont/Santa Monica station with new lighting and landscaping, as well as pedestrian improvements.
“This development is more than just new homes, it is a lifeline,” said L.A. Metro Board Member and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors First District Chair Hilda Solis. “At a time when the demand for affordable housing continues to outpace supply, investments like this are essential to keeping our communities stable and thriving. By situating these homes near transit, we are expanding access to opportunity, improving mobility and helping residents reduce or even eliminate transportation costs. This is how we build stronger, more equitable communities for generations to come.”
L.A. Metro notes that its Vision 2028 Strategic Plan encourages the development of affordable housing near transit to give more people—especially in low-income communities—better access to transit. In 2021, the L.A. Metro Board established a goal of expanding its housing portfolio through the joint development program to 10,000 homes by 2031, with at least 5,000 of the apartments to be restricted at affordable rents for lower and moderate-income households.
To meet the goal, L.A. Metro notes that it has partnered with local developers such as LTSC to increase the supply of high-quality housing on L.A. Metro properties—especially income-restricted apartments. Beyond providing housing, L.A. Metro notes that these new projects can advance many community development goals and serve as a gateway to its transit system. With over 5,000 units completed, in construction, or in negotiations, L.A. Metro notes that it is now over halfway to its goal of 10,000 homes by 2031.
“The Santa Monica Vermont Apartment project is one of [L.A.] Metro’s largest Joint Development projects to open to date, and it is already changing the lives of hundreds of Angelenos,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “Housing is desperately needed in LA County, and we’ll keep marching forward toward our goal to build 10,000 units of housing near [L.A.] Metro stations before 2031.”
LTSC currently has five more affordable housing projects in the pipeline in Little Tokyo, Skid Row, Chinatown and South Los Angeles.
“We’re honored to contribute a community asset to the East Hollywood neighborhood. Santa Monica and Vermont Apartments provides affordable, safe and dignified homes with access to supportive services and high-quality transit, along with ground floor space for local small businesses and community facilities,” said Little Tokyo Service Center Co-Executive Director Takao Suzuki. “LTSC is proud to complete the first affordable housing project using Measure ULA funds, as we continue to address LA’s urgent housing affordability crisis.”
In 2024, L.A. Metro notes it supported two developments, La Veranda and Los Lirios, both mixed-use housing developments for low- and moderate-income households in Boyle Heights. In 2025, Lorena Plaza opened as a mixed-use housing development for low-income households, with half the apartments prioritized for veterans who are low-income or experiencing homelessness.
More information on L.A. Metro’s Joint Development program can be found on its website.