Santa Monica has opened its first modular affordable housing development, a 13-unit project aimed at expanding housing options for low-income families and young adults facing housing insecurity.
The development, known as Berkeley Station, was completed through a partnership between Community Corporation of Santa Monica, the city and St. Joseph Center. City officials supported the project with an $11.32 million Housing Trust Fund construction loan and 13 project-based vouchers through the Santa Monica Housing Authority.
Berkeley Station introduces factory-built, or modular, construction as a faster alternative to traditional building methods, an approach California leaders have increasingly prioritized to address the state’s housing shortage.
“This building has been such an exciting innovation for us,” said Tara Barauskas, executive director of Community Corporation. “What started as our first-ever modular development is now 13 real homes for low-income families and young adults in need of support. Cutting this ribbon today means Santa Monica has a new model for what efficient and smarter affordable housing can look like.”
The prefabricated units were designed and constructed off-site before being installed over three days on a narrow infill lot.
City leaders said the project reflects a broader push to accelerate housing production.
“Berkeley Station is proof that Santa Monica can take on the housing crisis with urgency and results,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said. “We are cutting through delays and embracing new approaches like modular construction to deliver affordable homes faster and more efficiently.”
The building includes a community garden, rooftop deck, laundry facilities and a shared community room. It is all-electric, built to meet LEED Gold standards and equipped with solar panels and Energy Star appliances, officials said.
In addition to basic housing, St. Joseph Center will provide on-site services for young adult residents through its Santa Monica Youth Resource Team program, focusing on long-term housing stability and economic mobility.
