New Affordable Housing Complex Brings Fresh Hope to Historic Watts Community
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and Bridge Housing have opened Cypress View, a 119-unit apartment complex marking the latest milestone in the ambitious $1 billion redevelopment of Jordan Downs in Watts. The completion represents the fourth phase delivered by Bridge Housing in the ongoing transformation of the historic public housing community.
Cypress View, located at 10014 Grape St., offers apartments ranging up to five bedrooms, with 106 units designated for households earning between 30 and 80 percent of area median income. Twenty units have been specifically reserved for previous Jordan Downs residents, honoring the housing authority’s commitment to prevent displacement. The development also includes 12 market-rate apartments and one manager’s unit.
The three-building complex, designed by KTGY and constructed by Portrait Construction, features community rooms, shared laundry facilities, parking, and landscaped courtyards. Adjacent to the housing, the project includes Pearl Park—a new community green space with playground equipment and open lawn areas that provides residents with recreational opportunities previously unavailable in the aging complex.
From Wartime Housing to Modern Community
Jordan Downs’ journey spans eight decades. Originally constructed in the 1940s to house workers during World War II, the development was later converted to public housing. By the 21st century, the complex had deteriorated significantly due to insufficient federal investment, prompting HACLA to pursue comprehensive redevelopment.
The master plan envisions replacing the original 700-plus units with 1,500 mixed-income apartments, alongside 115,000 square feet of retail space and nine acres of parks and open space. Bridge Housing and The Michaels Organization are leading the housing components of this transformation.
For long-time residents, the transition carries profound emotional weight. One resident who has lived in Jordan Downs for 46 years described the experience as bittersweet—mourning the demolition of buildings filled with family memories while embracing improved living conditions better suited to current needs.
Services Support Stability
El Nido Family Centers, a century-old organization, provides supportive services at Cypress View designed to help residents maintain housing stability. These programs address challenges ranging from job loss and injuries to family counseling, recognizing that quality housing alone cannot guarantee long-term success without comprehensive support systems.
The no-displacement promise has remained central to the redevelopment. Housing officials emphasized that transformation efforts must center on residents’ dreams and aspirations rather than simply physical structures.
Bridge Housing previously completed Kalmia Rose, its third Jordan Downs development, last year. With Cypress View now occupied, the decades-long revitalization continues reshaping one of Los Angeles’ most historically significant public housing communities into a mixed-income neighborhood designed to serve multiple generations.
