The not-for-profit Skid Row Housing Trust (SRHT) and architect Michael Maltzan are continuing their longstanding partnership through a new development in the San Fernando Valley

Earlier this month, a group of local officials convened upon a vacant lot in Van Nuys for the groundbreaking of the Crest Apartments, a $22 million supportive housing complex which will cater to formerly homeless veterans. The five-story development, located at 13604 Sherman Way, will offer 63 affordable housing units, a social services office and shared community spaces upon its completion in 2016. Each studio apartment would be reserved for individuals making less than half of the Los Angeles area median income, with rents ranging from $428 to $713 per month.

Designs feature a slim white structure, stretching north-to-south down the length of the approximately half-acre project site. A network of green spaces will meander throughout the property, providing a community garden for residents and a buffer for an adjacent single family zone. Other amenities to be featured in the project include a lounge room, a community kitchen, and a health clinic.

The project will seek LEED Platinum certification through the inclusion of amenities such as a solar thermal heating system, high-efficiency bathroom fixtures, Energy Star-rated appliances and recycled materials. Numerous environmentally friendly features will also be incorporated into the project's landscape design by the SWA Group, including drought resistant plants, permeable pavement and a stormwater filtration system.

As with SRHT's other developments in Central Los Angeles, the Crest Apartments seek to combat chronic homelessness by creating a friendly and inviting atmosphere supplemented by social services and amenities. Appropriately, the apartments will be located a short distance from several high-frequency bus lines and a Metrolink commuter rail station.