Meta Housing’s Compton TOD to Transform Formerly Blighted Area

By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer

Compton, Calif.—Metro @ Compton Senior Apartments, a new transit-oriented housing project in Compton, Calif., from Meta Housing Corporation, is complete. The $20.3 million, 75-unit affordable property will serve seniors ages 55 and older. The property is located at 302 N. Tamarind Ave. in Compton, and it features one- and two-bedroom floor plans.

Metro @ Compton was developed as a GreenPoint Rated project. It uses sustainable and water-efficient features that include solar power and a system that leverages photovoltaics to heat water and generate the building’s electricity. As well, Metro @ Compton incorporates a “gray-water” system that reuses water from washing machines for landscape watering.

Meta Housing Corporation not only developed the building, it also undertook a number of capital improvements that significantly improved pedestrian access to the light rail and bus station that will serve Metro @ Compton residents.

“There continues to be a tremendous need for affordable housing developments in close proximity to public transportation, especially in urban areas,” Kasey Burke, Meta Housing Corporation president, said.

“The Metro @ Compton development transformed a blighted, underutilized vacant lot into 75 high-quality, affordable apartment units within walking distance to Compton’s Metro Blue Line light rail and bus station.”

In addition, Metro @ Compton is situated across from a new Senior Activity Center recently developed for city residents. That center features a sprawling community room, outdoor living room and fountain, and a barbecue. It is hoped that community spaces at both the center and in the apartment community will help foster the kind of active engagement crucial to healthy aging.

“The new apartment community will provide quality housing for seniors living on a fixed income, and the capital upgrades we implemented will significantly enhance the livability and vitality of the Compton community,” Burke remarked.

Added Tim Soule, Meta Housing senior project manager: “At Meta Housing, delivering affordable housing projects that enhance the overall vitality of a city is at the core of what we do. For that reason, we work to integrate sustainable features in each of our projects, ultimately reducing each building’s impact on the local community.”

The recycled water system will go a long way to maximizing water efficiency, a vital priority given the current drought plaguing California, Soule added.

Burke added that by closely collaborating with Los Angeles County and the city of Compton, Meta Housing was able to enhance the city’s existing transportation infrastructure, in the process giving residents better access to nearby amenities.

Meta Housing teamed with Western Community Housing in developing Metro @ Compton Senior Apartments. Y&M Architects designed the property. Optimus Construction Inc., under the supervision of construction manager KKG, Inc. handled the building’s construction. It is managed by WSH Management.