Halting The Housing Crisis Through Adaptive Reuse
Remember the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle song Jack Johnson strummed into your memory in elementary school? Well, 20 or so odd years later, we still hold onto those precious principles. Because today, we find ways to do our part to stay environmentally friendly by separating blue-bin items or running back to our car to grab the forgotten Trader Joe’s shopping bag. And now, staring us right in the face is a chance to continue the tradition of eliminating waste to Go Green for humanity.
California is in a housing crisis as urgent as it is devastating. And the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle model we know well can be employed in architectural repurposing, known as adaptive reuse.
Adaptive reuse (AR) is much like it sounds. Reusing old buildings and adapting their use to modern and/or specific needs of the community. Chescoplanning.org defines this process as “Repurposing buildings for viable new uses and modern functions, other than those originally intended to address present-day needs.” The folks over at Masterclass — yes, the Masterclass where experts in their field like Stephen Curry or Gordan Ramsey teach you how to perfect a hollandaise sauce and splash a three-pointer — define adaptive reuse simply as, “Repurposing of an existing structure for new use.”
A school becomes housing, a factory — office space, and an old church becomes a restaurant.
AR isn’t a new concept. The reuse of obsolete structures birthed world-famous urban spaces like Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco and the High Line and Domino Sugar Refinery in New York City. But now, it seems a necessary and viable option to combat the homeless crisis. And whether that is on the mind of today’s developers or not, Los Angeles is leading the way in AR architecture, with over 4,300 apartments set to be redeveloped in 2022.
But is AR being used for good or bad? That is, are the people in need the ones benefitting from this architectural revolution?
It’s easy to salivate over top-list worthy eats, trendy co-working spaces, and rooftop bars popping up around L.A. in once vacant spaces. I mean, talk about a hipster haven. But there is a downside to these revamps, and its name is gentrification.
To clarify, gentrification happens when land is purchased in low-income neighborhoods and new businesses and apartments are birthed that the locals cannot afford. Over time, these populations are priced out and displaced.
Now, it’s not news that the housing crisis has worsened in recent years around the country, and, perhaps at its worse, we look to California. So with AR becoming increasingly popular, it’s also at the heart of a debate about rising costs of living and how that leads to chronic homelessness.
While there is a growing sentiment that AR could be an answer to the homeless epidemic, others may suggest it is a part of the homeless epidemic because some AR projects can displace people.
Consider this example:
Johnny’s bar opened in early 2021 in the West Adams district of L.A. The bar was remodeled from a vacant warehouse attached to a staple restaurant in the neighborhood, Johnny’s Pastrami, which was black-owned and had been in operation since 1956.
In 2015, Johnny’s Pastrami shut down. After the purchase of the warehouse next door, the restaurant was also purchased and renovated. Now, Johnny’s is a hip restaurant with outdoor seating and a full bar. What was once a family-owned affordable pastrami shop for locals is now an upscale hipster hangout that’s barely within reach of the locals’ affordability.
This is how gentrification works. New housing developments arise that people in a particular neighborhood cannot afford, along with new restaurants and shops. And either the existing rents spike due to an increase in property values and price locals out, or populations that have lived in these neighborhoods for generations can no longer afford to move in. For those who own their homes, they become growingly unfamiliar with their community as businesses, landmarks, and the people around them change, and they are effectively displaced.
In a data journal written by minds at Washington University, they conclude that adaptive reuse is, “The process of converting obsolete buildings into new uses while maintaining elements of the original design and structure. This technique preserves the character of time and place while accommodating changes in demand, technology, tastes, and uses.”
This definition suggests that when the needs and wants of people within a specific community evolve, there is cause for AR to repurpose vacant buildings that contribute to the disinvestment of communities. However, I’m not sure the people living near Johnny’s expressed an interest in a restaurant and bar out of their price range. That begs the question of whether or not the bar and other businesses like it are a good example of AR or just more gentrification.
But it also must be noted that the line between ethical adaptive reuse and gentrification is thin.
And while the pros of AR are; maintaining cultural heritage, slowing urban sprawl, lower construction costs, and faster construction speeds, the obvious con is displacing individuals and families when these renovated spaces gain so much popularity that they jack up the price of living and people whose families have been in an area for generations are forced to leave.
All the more reason to focus on the ethics of AR before taking on an architectural project of the sort. The Heritage and Development organization outlines ethical repurposes for AR in a short journal titled, Adaptive Reuse For The Future Development Of The Historic Centres, “…[Though] economic viability and economic return are definitely factors for serious consideration. They cannot, and should not, supersede social needs. They should go hand in hand.”
So what does ethical AR mean? It means considering social needs before profits. Some examples include repurposing old structures to create more health centers, educational and vocational institutions, daycare centers, senior facilities, and social housing.
Ethical AR in action
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation(AHF) has used AR for homeless or extremely low-income housing since 2017 with the establishment of the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF). The HHF has now renovated and repurposed twelve historical or old Los Angeles buildings, creating a combined 1,205 units.
Through the Healthy Housing Foundation, AHF provides faster access to longer-term housing for low-income individuals and families. With each successful renovation, the Healthy Housing Foundation hopes to demonstrate to politicians, government officials, housing community groups, and housing advocates that there is a faster, less expensive, and environmentally sound answer to the housing crisis. It is possible to house those at extremely low and very low-income levels.
So can adaptive reuse be used for good? Yes.
But just like being superhuman, with great power comes great responsibility. And if the powers that be intend to use adaptive reuse as a means to fight the housing crisis, they should look to Housing Is A Human Right’s ‘3 Ps’ principles: Protect tenants, Preserve communities, and Produce housing.
So supporting ethical AR means supporting organizations like the Healthy Housing Foundation and their mission to eradicate homelessness.
The Central City Association of Los Angeles (CCA) April 2021 report on AR estimates that California has a housing shortage of 3 million units. Considering the levels of this crisis, AR provides a means to convert underutilized commercial buildings into much-needed affordable housing and micro-units.
At a December 22nd ceremony, AHF and the HHF unveiled a cornerstone plaque rededicating the oldest continually operating hotel in Los Angeles (since 1896) to affordable housing. The 158-unit Barclay Hotel, located at 103 West 4th Street in Los Angeles, CA, will now house low-income and formerly unhoused individuals. And next up for the HHF is the Renaissance Center, a 216-unit, 15 story modular building that will also serve as housing for low-income individuals. The building is set to open its doors in late 2023.
But the HHF is not stopping there. Their goal is to create 10,000 affordable units over the next ten years utilizing adaptive reuse. The mission — widespread adoption of their principles for adaptive reuse to end the homeless crisis in California and beyond.
