Santa Monica marked a milestone in its effort to address the regional housing crisis Thursday with the ribbon cutting of Berkeley Station, the city's first modular affordable housing development, offering 13 affordable apartments for low-income families and young adults facing housing insecurity.
The project — a partnership between the city of Santa Monica, nonprofit developer Community Corporation of Santa Monica and social services provider St. Joseph Center — represents a new approach to building affordable housing faster and at lower cost through factory-built, prefabricated construction.
"Berkeley Station is proof that Santa Monica can take on the housing crisis with urgency and results," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "We are cutting through delays and embracing new approaches like modular construction to deliver affordable homes faster and more efficiently."
The city supported the development with an $11.32 million Housing Trust Fund construction loan and 13 Project-Based Vouchers through the Santa Monica Housing Authority.
The prefabricated units were designed by architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa using the firm's NEST Toolkit, a modular kit-of-parts system developed to help address the region's housing shortage. The toolkit previously won a $1 million grant from the L.A. County Housing Innovation Challenge. Plant Prefab manufactured the apartment units at its factory in Tejon Ranch and installed them on the narrow infill lot in just three days.
Community Corp. Executive Director Tara Barauskas said the project demonstrated what smarter housing development could look like going forward.
"What started as our first-ever modular development is now 13 real homes for low-income families and young adults in need of support," Barauskas said. "Cutting this ribbon today means Santa Monica has a new model for what efficient and smarter affordable housing can look like."
Community Corp., a nonprofit founded in 1982, has built or restored more than 95 properties across Santa Monica and Los Angeles, creating over 2,000 affordable homes.
**Services for Young Adult Residents**
St. Joseph Center will provide on-site case management and supportive services for young adult residents through its Santa Monica Youth Resource Team program, which serves people ages 10 to 24 who are at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. Services include housing navigation, mental health support, basic needs assistance, and educational and employment resources.
Dr. Ryan J. Smith, president and CEO of St. Joseph Center, said the services are designed not only to help residents secure housing but to maintain it over time.
"We're especially proud to support the young adults who will call Berkeley Station home through our Santa Monica Youth Resource Team program, providing the services needed to not only secure housing, but to sustain it and build long-term pathways to economic mobility," Smith said.
One future resident, Malik Jackson, who is preparing to move in through the YRT program, said the development carries personal significance.
"For me, it represents more than just housing," Jackson said. "It's a symbol of stability, progress, and the support system that helped me get here."
St. Joseph Center reaches nearly 15,000 people annually across Los Angeles County and is marking its 50th anniversary this year.
**Design and Sustainability**
Berkeley Station was designed to meet LEED Gold certification standards. The all-electric building features solar panels and Energy Star appliances. Amenities for residents include a community garden, laundry facilities, a rooftop deck and a community room intended to foster connection among residents.
**Broader Policy Context**
The opening comes as California has identified factory-built housing as a priority strategy for addressing the state's broader affordable housing crisis. State officials are pursuing policies aimed at speeding up modular construction processes and removing regulatory obstacles specific to that building method.
The Berkeley Station project reflects a growing interest among cities and developers in modular construction as a way to compress timelines and reduce costs compared to traditional site-built development. The installation of Plant Prefab's factory-built units in three days stands in contrast to the months typically required for conventional framing and construction on a comparably sized project.
Community Corp. has built or restored more than 95 properties and created over 2,000 affordable homes across the Westside, according to the organization. Berkeley Station marks the nonprofit's first venture into modular construction.
For Torosis, the project reflects a broader commitment to keeping working residents in the city.
"This is the work of making sure Santa Monica remains a city where working people can build a future," the mayor said.