Emergency Safety and Security Grant Secured

Federal Funding to Assist Public Housing Site for Seniors

Alhambra, July 15, 2024 – The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded almost $200,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through the Capital Fund Emergency Safety and Security Grant (ESSG). The ESSG is designed to enhance safety and security in public housing. The LACDA will use the funding at the Palm Apartments, located in West Hollywood, which is dedicated to housing senior residents.

The grant will allow for the upgrade of the Palm Apartments’ fire alarm system to meet local fire codes and will include a new full sprinkler system under the International Fire Code. All work funded by the grant will require a fire safety plan, local code approval, and Employee Training Program for emergency response and fire safety. Additionally, the fire doors will be replaced to ensure the integrity of the fire rating is met, as well as the self-closure mechanism for doors. The purpose for the fire doors and the fire protection system is to reduce the spread of a fire and smoke between compartments of a building and structure and enable egress from a building or structure for compliance with HUD’s National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) standards, which is applied to public housing sites. The completed project will ensure the health and safety of the senior residents at the Palm Apartments.

The upgrades will complement the other property renovations currently underway at several LACDA public housing sites. The Orchard Arms senior housing site located in Valencia, recently underwent a solar renovation which consisted of the installation of solar panels over the tenant parking lots, resulting in reduced energy bills for senior residents and the agency is currently in the process of completing a solar renovation project at the South Bay Gardens senior housing site in South Los Angeles County. Throughout the years, the LACDA has also partnered with the Southern California Edison Company, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the Southern California Gas Company to provide tenants with cost-savings energy renovations.

“We are excited and thankful to receive this grant from HUD,” said Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director. “We are committed to upgrading our public housing sites and ensuring a safe and secure environment for our residents. The LACDA will continue to explore funding opportunities and work with our partners to meet our mission to Build Better Lives and Better Neighborhoods.”