We were devastated to learn that our new affordable housing development for veterans and families, Nuevo Amanecer, was destroyed by a fire early this morning in East LA. Nuevo Amanecer was in the final construction phase and was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. We are cooperating with the local authorities and the Red Cross, and have sadly been informed by the Sheriff’s Department that an arson suspect is in custody.
ELACC is committed to working with our partners to rebuild Nuevo Amanecer. The development’s design includes 61 units for homeless veterans and low-income families and will bring desperately needed housing affordability to our community. In addition to housing, Nuevo Amanecer will also support the small business ecosystem on the Eastside with 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.
Not only does this tragedy profoundly affect our timeline to provide quality housing to veterans and families, but the families living next door were also impacted by the fire and local workers have lost their construction jobs. No one was injured, but Nuevo Amanecer was a valuable economic resource in East LA and we are overcome with grief for the loss of our neighbors’ homes and livelihoods. We are currently looking into ways to support the families as we recover together.
Thank you for your concerns and well wishes during this time. ELACC remains dedicated to partnering with the community to bring more affordable housing options to the Eastside. As soon as we have a report from LA County Fire Department we will update this statement with more details. In the meantime, if you have any further questions, please contact Abigail Wood, Director of Fund Development & Communications, at (323) 604-1989 or awood@elacc.org.
If you would like to make a contribution to help us support the neighboring families displaced by the fire, please click here.
Manuel Bernal
President
East LA Community Corporation