Community leaders from across the state gathered in Edward Vincent Jr. Park to celebrate a new housing development that’s set to bring 120 affordable housing units to Inglewood.
Construction is already underway at 400 Centinela Ave. where the mixed-use development is set to open in fall 2028.
Named Sankofa Place at Centinela, the development is a collaborative effort between three nonprofits — the Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI), Venice Community Housing and Linc Housing — and will provide studios to three-bedroom apartments. Half of the units will go to youth transitioning out of homelessness, according to Allison Riley, the co-executive director of Venice Community Housing.
“A lot of the growth that we’ve had over the past 15 years is really fortunate for the city… but community members need to have place and space as well,” said Derek Steele, SJLI executive director. “We wanted to make sure there’s physical space for people to be here.”
The new affordable units arrive amid a rapidly changing city that has some longtime residents questioning how, or if, they’ll be able to remain in the city.
“The city has been really booming in so many ways, but what that has also done is put pressure on the cost of housing,” Riley said. “This is 120 units and we need a lot more.”
Sankofa Place at Centinela will cost about $93 million to build, according to Steele, who said all of the funds have already been raised.
The site will house SJLI’s headquarters, which will allow the nonprofit to serve community members directly through a new 25,000 square foot “cultural hub” that will include a library, micro farm, teaching kitchen and wellness studio.
Speaking to a crowd of about 100 invited guests, Inglewood City Councilmember Alex Padilla, whose district includes the development, spoke to the potential impact the new construction could have for some Inglewood families.
“This project was a no-brainer,” Padilla said. “This is going to provide homes for families for generations to come right here in the city of Inglewood.”
