A Los Angeles Home Built for Just $200K Brings Cheer to an Infill Lot
Lehrer Architects sets a new standard for approachable starter homes in one of the country’s most expensive markets.
Lehrer Architects sets a new standard for approachable starter homes in one of the country’s most expensive markets.
The path to homeownership can be daunting—especially in Los Angeles, a cutthroat real estate market where what’s deemed an affordable housing unit averages $500,000 to $600,000. "And that’s not even for a single-family home—that’s for an apartment or condo in a multi-unit building," says Michael B. Lehrer of Lehrer Architects. "Most single-family homes go for even more. That’s just insanity."
Lehrer Architects has a history of working on community-minded projects. A 2013 collaboration with the nonprofit development corporation Restore Neighborhoods Los Angeles (RNLA) created five three-bedroom, two-bathroom single-family homes on land donated by the city. The houses ended up costing $300,000 to $400,000 each to build—making their sale price less affordable than the team had hoped—in part because of their size and in part because public funds supporting the project came with oversights that added to the budget.
In 2015, RNLA executive director John Perfitt challenged Lehrer and his partner, Nerin Kadribegovic, to answer an RFP for middle-class starter homes that would cost $200,000 or less to build, including the design, permits, construction, and architect’s fees (the city would once again donate land).
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Los Angeles Home Built for Just $200K Brings Cheer to an Infill Lot