Venice Community Housing

Friends, we need your help before the Council Budget Committee meets on Monday. The City Attorney is asking for more funding for outside counsel to fight Venice Dell — the project City Council already approved. Twice. Let’s remind our elected officials that LA residents value fiscal responsibility, accountability, and affordable homes for all. Visit the link in our bio to send a 1-click email to City Council members, and then share with friends and family — we need as many emails as possible sent before Monday morning! Thank you for supporting affordable housing.

Two Saturdays, one incredible community. This year’s Venice Design Series brought friends and family together in spaces shaped by creativity and care. Guests visited the studios of Charles Gaines and Mixografia, gathered over lunch at Maydan Market, and spent time at Bloom Ranch exploring the land through tours and hands-on activities. Together, we raised over $150,000 to support VCH’s mission of building affordable housing across Los Angeles. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made this possible. It was a joy to share these experiences with you.

May begins with May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, a time when people around the world recognize the contributions of workers and the importance of solidarity, dignity, and collective action.   In Los Angeles, May Day often brings together labor advocates, immigrant rights organizers, and community groups working across movements to uplift shared goals and support one another. It is a reminder of the importance of community voice and the ongoing work of protecting and uplifting the people who make our city strong.   These posters come from our friends at the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, an educational and research archive that collects, preserves, documents, and exhibits posters relating to historical and contemporary movements for social change. Their May Day digital exhibition features 25 U.S. and international posters from 1895 to 2026, highlighting how artists and organizers across generations have used posters to reflect the struggle for workers’ rights, capturing both historical moments and messages that still resonate today. Head to @politicalgraphics to see the rest of the digital exhibition.

Our newest mural is complete!   Created in partnership with @colorthewater._ and mural artist River Garza, this piece reflects the heart of our community-led design approach: creating spaces shaped by the people who live there.   The mural is part of a larger public art installation on the property that also includes a sculpture by artist Glen Wilson, bringing complementary works of art to the property that celebrate culture, creativity, and belonging.   We’re proud to celebrate this beautiful addition to our building and grateful to everyone helping bring the full vision to life. Photography by @blackmarketartisan

This Earth Day, we’re reminded that it’s not always easy being green, but it’s always worth it.   Affordable housing is often held to higher environmental standards than market-rate development, with targets like receiving LEED and Enterprise Green Communities certificates shaping how we design and build.   At VCH, we’re proud to meet that challenge. Our Rose Apartments and The Journey are both LEED certified, and the projects under construction in our pipeline are pursuing LEED and/or Enterprise Green Communities certification. These standards push us to create homes that are healthier, more energy efficient, and built to last.   Because building sustainably isn’t just about buildings, it’s about making sure the communities they serve can thrive for generations.

Last week, our Co-Executive Director Allison Riley spoke at the 9th Annual Commemoration of the Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument. The monument stands at the corner of Venice and Lincoln, marking the spot where, in April 1942, approximately 1,000 Japanese American residents from Westside communities were forced to line up with only what they could carry before being bused to Manzanar. It is a powerful reminder of a painful chapter in our community’s history, and a call to remain vigilant so that displacement and injustice are not repeated in new forms today. We also heard from Iris, the mother of a Westside Youth Academy graduate who was connected to the VJAMM Committee through Venice Community Housing. Iris volunteers with her family every month to help maintain the monument, and we’re grateful for her dedication and care for this space. VCH is honored to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the VJAMM Committee and to partner in maintaining the monument. Staff, residents, and Westside Youth Academy students come together to help care for this space, ensuring it remains a place of reflection, education, and respect. By preserving this history, we also affirm our shared responsibility to stand against displacement in all its forms and to support communities’ ability to remain rooted, safe, and connected. We are proud to stand alongside community partners in uplifting the voices and stories this monument represents and honoring them through continued advocacy for stable, inclusive communities.

We’re excited for the upcoming Venice Design Series tours on April 25 and May 2. On April 25, we’ll visit artist studios and creative spaces across Los Angeles, followed by a May 2 trip to Bloom Ranch. From conceptual art and collaborative printmaking to a working farm rooted in wellness and community, these special places offer a behind-the-scenes look at how creativity takes shape in different environments. We’re sharing more about what makes each destination unique. Below is a snapshot of what we’ll explore at each location, with more on our blog — click the link in our bio to learn more. Bloom Ranch — May 2 Set on more than 250 acres, Bloom Ranch, the largest Black-owned farm in Los Angeles County, is rooted in wellness, agriculture, and community. Led by Dr. Bill Releford, the site connects land stewardship, food, and cultural history in a space designed for reflection and connection. Charles Gaines Studio — April 25 Step inside the purpose-built studio of conceptual artist Charles Gaines, whose work uses structured systems to explore how we see and understand the world. The space offers a rare look at how process, repetition, and experimentation shape large-scale installations as they evolve. Mixografia — April 25 This pioneering Los Angeles printmaking workshop collaborates with artists to push the boundaries of what a print can be. Through innovative techniques and sculptural paper processes, Mixografia transforms ideas into tactile, dimensional works. Maydan Market — April 25 Part food hall, part community hub, Maydan Market brings together multiple kitchens around a shared live-fire hearth. The thoughtfully designed space encourages collaboration, cultural exchange, and gathering.

Join us for a community forum on April 22 to talk with our expert panel about winning the fight for affordable housing on the Westside! Pizza and playground supervision for families provided. RSVP + submit your questions at bit.ly/housingMV

As inflation on every day goods disproportionately impacts people with lower-incomes, VCH’s quarterly Shop Day invites residents to “shop” for free essentials, including clothing, household items, hygiene products, toys, and small self-care treats. This is made possible through the generosity of our partners and our community.   It’s also a time for neighbors from across our buildings to come together, connect, and enjoy a shared sense of community. For Case Manager Desiree, Shop Day is especially meaningful. “I love Shop Day because it gives me a chance to spend time with residents from across our communities in a different way,” she shared. “Even with the busy energy of the day, it’s an opportunity to check in, catch up, and strengthen relationships, helping everyone feel connected and supported as part of the VCH community.”

Residents at the center — that’s the future of housing. Earlier this month at Housing California, our Co-Executive Director Allison Riley spoke about the growing momentum behind social housing and lessons from Los Angeles’ implementation of United to House LA.   “The city issued its largest NOFA ever because of ULA,” she shared, noting that while the process has been slower than expected, much of that reflects the creation of new programs “steering us toward a social housing model.” She emphasized that this shift encourages a more tenant-centered approach to ownership and management, and expressed excitement about the opportunity and the strong volume of proposed projects. Have any questions for Allison about social housing? Let us know in the comments 👇

Join us for the 2026 Venice Design Series, a two-part experience celebrating the creative communities that shape Los Angeles while raising critical funds for Venice Community Housing. On April 25, go behind the scenes with a guided tour of Los Angeles artists’ studios, including the work of renowned artist Charles Gaines and the pioneering printmaking shop Mixografia, followed by lunch at Maydan Market. On May 2, spend the day at Bloom Ranch, the largest Black-owned farm in Los Angeles County, with hands-on experiences, live music, and a farm-to-table meal rooted in sustainability and community care. Together, these gatherings support the creation and preservation of affordable housing for Westside residents, and bring people together around a shared commitment to community. Sponsorships and tickets are available now at the link in our bio. We’d love to have you with us.

What does it mean for housing to truly reflect its community? At Venice Community Housing, it starts by bringing residents and neighbors into the process from the very beginning. This weekend, we celebrated the “unveiling” of a new mural created in partnership with Color the Water and artists River Garza and Glen Wilson – an example of how art and community come together in our work. As Community Engagement Manager Jonathan Hunter shares, “It’s not just about building housing; it’s about building something the community sees itself in.” Jonathan is also working to connect residents and youth program participants with the artists in the coming weeks while the mural receives its finishing touches, creating opportunities to learn, contribute, and be part of the process.