Lancaster, CA: Affordable Artist Housing Leads Smart Growth Transformation

Lancaster, CA: Affordable Artist Housing Leads Smart Growth Transformation

HUD USER publishes a series of Case Study examples based on federal, state, and local strategies that increase affordable housing opportunities, integrate sustainable features and practices, and increase access to public transportation. The projects featured in these reports have demonstrated innovation through a multitude of partnerships and initiatives.

The most recent Case Study is the Arbor Artist Lofts in Lancaster, California. This 21-unit affordable housing project includes four bedroom apartments designed to meet the needs of working artists. The Artist Lofts was the first project approved under the guidance of the city's form-based code, and its distinctive architecture and housing program earned the 2010 American Institute of Architects/HUD Secretary's Creating Community Connection Award. More than a singular achievement, the project helped spur a dramatic revitalization that has transformed the city's once-neglected downtown into a national model of smart growth.

Visit HUD USER's Case Studies Resource page to learn how the Arbor Artist Lofts has sparked community revitalization, and to view other promising examples of how communities across the nation are raising the bar on affordable, sustainable development.