City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson looks down on Manchester Avenue from one of the housing units at the Serenity Building. The building offers 50 housing units, mostly for senior citizens who were homeless.
Photo by Ray Richardson
By Ray Richardson
Contributing Writer
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — A new $41 million facility named the Serenity Building is drawing high praise for helping to end homelessness for seniors and providing a satellite office for the Los Angeles Urban League.
The dual role of the Serenity Building is being celebrated as one of the most significant achievements for Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson during his term as Los Angeles City Council president.
“When somebody looks you in the eye and tells you they thought they were going to die, but now they have a place to live, nothing compares to that,” Harris-Dawson said after a grand opening ceremony for the Serenity Building Aug. 21. “This is very moving for me to see Serenity open with tenants who needed our help.”
Harris-Dawson introduced a bond measurement in 2015 known as Proposition HHH to help create long-term funding for affordable housing structures throughout Los Angeles. Voters approved the $1.2 billion bond appropriation in 2016.
The Serenity Building is the 100th project that’s been completed since the approval of Proposition HHH. Twenty more housing complexes with the bond funding are currently under construction in Harris-Dawson’s Eighth District.
South Side Church Of Christ, located next door to the land where Serenity was built on West Manchester Avenue, played a monumental role in bringing together investors and developers. South Side Church Of Christ Pastor Carl Baccus calls the Serenity Building a “vision of love.”
“I can remember a lot of days and nights talking about getting this building built,” Baccus said. “We have members in our congregation who would not give up.”
Construction began in 2022. Of the 50 studio and one-bedroom apartments in Serenity, 36 were reserved for homeless seniors. Baccus said providing housing for seniors was a major priority for the project.
“It makes me proud to know that people are thinking about our seniors like this,” said KJLH-FM Morning News Host Adai Lamar, a longtime advocate for senior housing in South Los Angeles. “This is the time to get innovative … to get outside of our comfort zone. These seniors are close to the resources they need.”
In addition to moving into new apartments, seniors in the Serenity Building will have access to a variety of services provided by the Los Angeles Urban League and partner agencies.
Plans are underway to create office space for the Urban League on the second floor of the Serenity Building. Holly Harris-Monk, chief of staff for the L.A. Urban League, said the organization will maintain its primary headquarters on Crenshaw Boulevard near Leimert Park.
Harris-Monk indicated that Urban League president and CEO Cynthia Mitchell-Heard had been looking for an opportunity to open a satellite office.
“This gives us a chance for direct outreach to seniors in Serenity and nearby residents in the community,” Harris-Monk said. “We’ll be able to provide job skills training, health and wellness programs, transportation and a number of support services.”
Harris-Monk said Baccus is assisting with the development of the second-floor office space. When the development is completed, Harris-Monk said Baccus will give the Urban League a move-in date.
“The Urban League can’t have enough offices,” Harris-Dawson said. “I’ve heard of people having to take two or three buses to get to the Urban League’s main office. This location will make it easier for people to get services they need.”
Many residents have been living in the Serenity Building since apartments were available in June. Henry Gray, 80, a Los Angeles native, said he had been living in homeless shelters for three years before meeting a representative of South Side Church Of Christ.
“I’m very grateful,” said Gray, a retired utility installer for a telephone company in Los Angeles. “Compared to where I was, it’s hard to put into words. I love this place. The people here are very sincere about helping you.”
Ray Richardson is a contributing writer for The Wave. He can be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com.
