Laurel Crest Apartment Homes is one of Los Angeles County's premier green, affordable housing developments. With a density of 26.5 units to the acre, each of the 72 units has two bathrooms, energy-efficient appliances, wiring for highspeed internet and an exterior patio or balcony and range from 900 square feet to 1,100 square feet. The development is located within a quarter mile from two bus lines and a half mile from a Metrolink light rail station. The development is also within walking distance of the Antelope Valley Boys and Girls Club, and less than a mile from two parks, and the Lancaster Public Library.

The developers, Jamboree Housing, leveraged cost saving environmental efficiencies, reducing operating expenses by more than $340,000, while increasing the property’s supportable debt, and decreasing the funding required from gap financing sources. Low-water landscaping was integrated into the design, with all units oriented on an east/west meridian for the maximum amount of solar access. The development also boasts a central domestic water boiler that uses hydronic heating, significantly cutting energy costs. Photovoltaic cells will power all common areas – including the pool, community center, laundry rooms, all walkway and hallway exterior lighting during daylight hours – and, eventually, will replenish the local energy company’s supply with the excess power generated, again reducing total operating costs for the property.