The largest homeless housing project to date in Los Angeles celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, June 19. Elected officials and homeless services providers expressed hope that it would help improve and transform Skid Row, the epicenter of the region’s homelessness crisis.

The first of two high-rise buildings comprising Weingart Towers, which will house the homeless, is now complete.

Weingart Tower I, a 19-story high-rise with 278 units overlooking downtown L.A., offers a range of amenities. These include a café, a club room for relaxation and entertainment, a gym, music and art rooms, a computer lab, dog runs, terraces with community gardens, and common balcony areas.

Located at 555 S. Crocker St. near 6th Street, Tower I consists of 228 studio apartments and 50 one-bedroom apartments, including three designated for onsite managers. Forty units are specifically reserved for veterans.

Each apartment is fully furnished and equipped with a full kitchen, private bathroom, and amenities such as heating and air conditioning. Described as “high-quality apartment living” on the Weingart Center’s website, the facility is preparing to welcome its first residents soon.

Kevin Murray, president and CEO of the Weingart Center Association, emphasized, "This is more than just a building. This is about people, about giving people dignity and respect."

According to media reports, the initial tower incurred an estimated $165 million in costs. Speakers at Wednesday’s grand opening ceremony noted that this translates to approximately $595,000 per residential unit, covering construction, financing, and the purchase of furniture and other apartment essentials.

Part of the project was funded through Proposition HHH, a $1.2 billion bond measure approved by Los Angeles voters in 2016 to support affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Murray, a former California state Assembly and state Senate member, and other speakers at Wednesday’s event emphasized the importance of providing people who have been living on the streets with a place they can take pride in calling home.

They highlighted the significance of amenities like a gym for physical therapy, or music and art rooms for emotional healing, in aiding residents' physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

“We’re not just trying to house people. We are trying to keep them housed,” Murray said. He emphasized that these amenities will help residents stay engaged, foster a sense of community, and support long-term stability.

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, representing the district that includes Skid Row, emphasized the importance of supporting residents in the neighborhood.

“Skid Row is a neighborhood. It’s a community,” Solis stated. “It’s not something to be looked down upon or considered second-class. It really does need this uplifting.”

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass also underscored the significance of providing avenues such as art and music to aid residents in healing from the traumas they’ve endured while living on the streets.

Addressing critics of the handling of Prop. HHH funds, Bass pointed to projects like Weingart Tower I as examples of how such bond measures benefit communities.

“Now we can see what HHH has done,” Bass remarked.

“Skid Row is the epicenter of the unhoused situation in our city, but it also provides the hope and opportunity ... and we will see the transformation of Skid Row,” she expressed. Bass expressed her hope that the Weingart project would become a model that could be replicated citywide.

The Weingart tower offers “permanent supportive housing” with onsite counseling, case management, and other support services for residents.

While these services will be available, residents are not required to participate in counseling, substance abuse treatment programs, or other eligible services.

Murray noted that other renters in the city, including those in subsidized housing receiving Medicare or Social Security benefits, are not obligated to participate in programs as a condition of tenancy.

“There is no reason our clients, who happen to be low-income, should face these barriers,” he remarked.

"Rent will be based on income, and many tenants who end up at the Weingart Towers will likely use federal Section 8 housing vouchers to help pay their rent."

Construction on Weingart Tower I commenced in September 2021. The second tower, a 12-story high-rise with 104 units, is currently in the pre-development phase. Together, these two towers will offer 382 residential units, including four designated for managers.

Additionally, the Weingart Center is advancing a separate project: a 17-story, 302-unit permanent supportive housing development located across the street from the Weingart Towers site.