Our Lady Queen of Angels Housing Alliance, a new Los Angeles-based affordable housing initiative, has announced its executive director and first development project.
Local business, community, and philanthropic leaders joined with the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles to found the organization. Our Queen of Angeles Housing Alliance will collaborate with the archdiocese and other community groups to create affordable housing.
The nonprofit will be led by executive director Amy Anderson, former chief housing officer for Los Angeles.
Anderson recently led the Wells Fargo Foundation’s national philanthropic giving around affordable housing supply. Her development experience also includes serving as executive director of PATH Ventures and housing director at Abode Communities.
Her first project at the helm of the new organization will be a 74-unit development near Los Angeles City College (LACC). Willow Brook will be built on land set aside by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2021 for the purpose of addressing the critical need for affordable housing in the city.
“Our goal is to build homes for people and families most at risk of experiencing housing insecurity,” Anderson said. “Our first project is located near LACC, because we plan to serve youth aging out of foster care as well as community college students, who often work full time while pursuing an education. Too many students are unable to graduate and leverage the benefits of a college education because of financial constraints, and these affordable homes will support them in completing their degrees.”
Plans for Willow Brook include a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments. The two-bedroom units will have two bathrooms to make shared living for students more accessible. The building’s amenities will include laundry facilities, a community room, a wellness center, outdoor spaces, and study rooms.
With an estimated development cost of $27.4 million, Willow Brook is in the initial permitting phase. Officials hope to break ground on the development in fall 2025.
The alliance is also exploring additional opportunities to create affordable housing.
Our Queen of Angels Housing brings together community groups and foundations, including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, the Smet Foundation, the Hilton Foundation, and the Specialty Family Foundation.
“The Catholic Church has a deep commitment to serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez, chair of the organization. “Through Catholic Charities and our ministries on Skid Row and elsewhere, we have been working for many years to provide shelter and services for our homeless brothers and sisters. With this new initiative, we see exciting possibilities to make more affordable housing available, especially for families and young people.”
