LA Funeral Home Becomes Housing for 100 Homeless Seniors

Louis Juarez wakes up every morning in his studio apartment and feels the stress melt away. Just a year ago, he was living in a homeless shelter.

His new home sits inside what used to be Pierce Brothers Mortuary, one of the largest funeral homes on what locals called "Mortuary Row" in Los Angeles. The historic Spanish Colonial revival building closed years ago, briefly served as a church, and now offers something the community desperately needs: affordable housing for seniors.

The transformation created Washington View Apartments, a 122-unit complex where rent costs just 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. Of those units, 91 are specifically reserved for formerly homeless residents like Juarez.

More than 146,000 Americans over age 55 experienced homelessness in 2024, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Finding affordable senior housing has become increasingly difficult across the country, making projects like this one critical.

The renovation required $33 million in construction loans from a private bank, plus an additional $12 million from the Los Angeles city government. Developers carefully preserved the building's historic features, including the bell tower, red tile roof, and stained glass windows that suffered damage from two fires over the years.

The city designated the chapel as a cultural-historic landmark, so developers had to ensure their work honored that status. They succeeded so well that Washington View Apartments won the city's 2023 Preservation Design Award for Reconstruction.

The small chapel now serves as a cozy studio apartment. The large gathering space where funeral services once occurred has become a community room where neighbors can connect.

The Ripple Effect

The building includes three recreation rooms, open community spaces, and offices where residents can access case management and adult education classes. The former hearse garage now provides additional living space, and the entire property meets ADA compliance standards after receiving a seismic upgrade.

This approach to adaptive reuse shows how cities can solve multiple problems at once. Historic buildings get preserved instead of demolished, seniors get safe and affordable housing, and communities reclaim spaces that might otherwise sit empty.

"It's a one-stop shop," Juarez joked about living so close to the area's remaining funeral homes. Then he got serious: "I love it here. Every morning I wake up and it relieves all the stress from my life."

One hundred neighbors now call this former mortuary home, proving that buildings can have second lives as beautiful as their first.