Yaroslavsky and Koretz Open New Affordable Housing Project for Seniors

Los Angeles County Supervisor and Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz joined forces to officially open a new affordable housing building for senior citizens in Westwood Thursday.

"This is for seniors who would otherwise be on the margins," Yaroslavsky told the group of residents, officials from the city and county, as well as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gathered to celebrate the home's opening.

Yaroslavsky's office, HUD and the City of Los Angeles Housing Department partnered with Menorah Housing Foundation to convert the former office building at 10961 Pico Blvd. into a 46-unit apartment complex for senior citizens.

As Koretz noted in his remarks, the project took over the abandoned county Department of Public Social Services office. Before the department moved to a new facility recently it had become over-crowded and something of a blight.

"When you think of affordable housing, this is not what you think of," Koretz said. "This is a beautiful building. We know this is a wonderful thing for the neighborhood."

Lance Bocarsly, chair of the Menorah Housing Foundation board, acted as emcee for the ceremonies, and cited Yaroslavsky, in particular, for his help in getting the project going. The building was even named for Yaroslavsky, which Bocarsly pointed out, was not something he had asked for.

Yaroslavsky even went so far as to say in his remarks that he didn't really approve of naming things after living politicians.

"I'm grateful that my name is on this building," he said, however, adding that there is nothing else in the county with his name on it.

A tenant of the building, who only introduced himself as Patrick, told the group that he enjoyed living in the building after years of living in smaller quarters.

"It was nothing like this," he said indicating the building. "This is a class act."

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This story courtesy Westwood-Century City Patch.

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