Court Clears Path Forward for 120-Unit Venice Dell Affordable Housing Project

PRESS RELEASE: Los Angeles, CA —Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled in favor of Venice Community Housing (VCH) and Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC), finding that the Los Angeles Board of Transportation Commissioners exceeded its legal authority when it voted in December 2024 to deny the use of a city-owned parking lot for housing. The decision affirms that attempts to use the Board to stop the project did not succeed. The co-developers were represented in this action by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA).

“This is a critical victory for affordable housing, the rule of law, and people who urgently need homes,” said Allison Riley, Co-Executive Director of Venice Community Housing. “The Venice Dell project has been approved, funded, and supported for years. Yesterday’s decision confirms that it must be allowed to move forward.”

The project has been in development since 2016 and has received multiple approvals from the Los Angeles City Council and the California Coastal Commission, along with more than $42 million in conditional state funding and $3 million in county funding. However, actions by the City have delayed the project. Advocates emphasized that these delays have real consequences for residents in need of affordable housing.

“This ruling is a major step forward for Venice Dell and for Los Angeles residents who have waited far too long for this project,” said Victoria Senna, CEO of Hollywood Community Housing Corporation. “After years of unnecessary delays, we are now one step closer to breaking ground on desperately needed affordable and supportive housing.”

“The court’s decision reaffirms that cities must honor their commitments to affordable housing,” said Kevin Mitchell, Managing Attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. “Venice Dell has undergone years of public review and received the approvals necessary to move forward. This ruling helps ensure that critical housing projects are not unlawfully stalled at the expense of communities in need.”

In its decision, available here, the court ordered the Board of Transportation Commissioners to reverse its action denying use of the lot.

“This ruling clears the way for the City to take its next required steps under the existing development agreement. We urge Mayor Bass and other city leaders to take swift action and bring the Venice Dell affordable housing project over the finish line,” said Erika Lee, Co-Executive Director of Venice Community Housing.

ABOUT VENICE DELL: Venice Dell is a planned 100% affordable and supportive housing development that would provide 120 apartment homes on a City-owned surface parking lot at 200 N. Venice Boulevard. In 2016, Lot 731 was identified by the City Council as an underutilized site that would be better suited for affordable housing as part of the Affordable Housing Opportunity Site (AHOS) program. The project would include supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, along with community-serving spaces and replacement public parking.