Homes for Low-Income, First-Time Buyers Offered

Six new three-bedroom townhomes designed for low-income, first-time buyers will be offered for sale today in Leimert Park, an area hit hard by the 1992 riots.

Touted as “Urban Cottages,” the $135,000 Leimert Park Homes are air-conditioned, two-story units with two-car garages.

“I realized I had to start small because the bureaucracy is more friendly with smaller projects,” said Michael Anderson, the developer of the 18,000-square-foot parcel at 2701 W. Vernon Ave. “I also realized it had to be large enough to make an impact on the neighborhood, and hopefully this will start turning the block around.”

Low-income households--families of five, for example, earning less then $33,240--can qualify for special Los Angeles Housing Department mortgages.