L.A. Multifamily Property Wins HUD Door Knocker Award

Los Angeles County–The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Casa Dominguez, a 70-unit affordable housing property completed in 2009 in East Rancho Dominguez, Calif., a HOME Program Door Knocker Award. The recipient of the award is the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles, the key local government partner in the successful development of Casa Dominguez, along with private nonprofit developer and architect Abode Communities.

The HUD Door Knocker Awards recognize work in creating affordable housing properties to meet specific needs, such as fashioning a stable living environment for those with disabilities and providing rental assistance to homeless veterans, or offering sustainable living through green building practices. The award is one of a number that Casa Dominguez has won recently as the first multifamily development in Los Angeles County, and only the sixth in California, to receive LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council.

HUD recognized Casa Dominguez for its green design techniques, including the incorporation of various renewable-energy and energy-saving features, recycled and renewable construction materials, and transit-oriented site selection. Other features include the first commercial gray-water irrigation system in Los Angeles, a solar energy system that provides all of the community’s energy needs in common areas, Energy Star appliances and “California friendly” landscaping.

Rents at the property range from about $396 for a one-bedroom apartment to $1,279 for four bedrooms. Families living in Casa Dominguez earn at or below 50 percent of the area median income, or less than $39,650 annually for a family of four.

Abode Communities specializes in affordable housing for southern California’s large workforce as well as low-income families, seniors and individuals with special needs. Currently, the company owns 34 properties throughout the region that house more than 4,000 residents.