Las Dahlias, a National CORE affordable housing community in the heart of East Los Angeles’s Maravilla neighborhood, has earned the prestigious LEED for Homes Platinum certification – the highest honor for sustainable construction.
The property’s sustainability elements were designed by COREvolution, a design and consulting team launched by National CORE to develop and implement cost-efficient, eco-friendly design in multi-family affordable housing.
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a certification program designed to promote sustainable home building. Platinum and Gold levels are the pinnacle of green building, requiring innovative design strategies and a passion for the environment. Buildings with these ratings are energy efficient, offer access to public transit, reduce water waste, ensure clean indoor air quality, include healthy, regenerable or recyclable materials and focus on sustainability during the building process.
“One of National CORE’s main principles is to embrace sustainability,” said Tim Kohut, COREvolution’s executive director and National CORE’s director of sustainable design. “COREvolution champions sustainable construction techniques because it creates a better environment and that means happier and healthier residents.”
Las Dahlias, which opened in July 2024, spans several long vacant parcels owned by Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA). The property delivers 78 beautiful new affordable apartment homes to residents earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Thirty-nine of the apartment homes serve individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness.
Las Dahlias is located along the Metro E line, connecting residents to job opportunities in downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Las Dahlias residents enjoy an array of amenities, such as a community center, rooftop verandas and a neighborhood pocket park.
As part of the sustainability effort, National CORE and its partners obtained a $9.4 million grant through the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program to invest in community improvements. As a result, residents receive free Metro bus passes and have access to a bike repair program in addition to neighborhood investments, including 10 eco-friendly buses, improved bus stops, new walkways and bikeways – all of which encourage residents to use alternative means of transportation beyond personal vehicles.
To qualify for LEED certification, developers must pass rigorous design and building guidelines that go beyond what most states require. COREvolution’s team designed Las Dahlias with an all-electric design that combines high-efficiency heat pump technologies, an energy-saving building envelope and rooftop photovoltaic energy systems.
National CORE has been named a Power Builder by the U.S. Green Building Council for six consecutive years, an honor that celebrates builders using LEED to improve quality of life for residents, reduce a building’s impact on the environment, and create healthier and more resilient communities.