Community Corporation of Santa Monica is a non-profit organization that restores, builds, and manages affordable housing for people of modest means. Founded by community leaders in 1982, Community Corp. has pioneered the development of architecturally significant and environmentally sustainable affordable housing.
Community Corp. has built or restored more than 100 properties throughout Santa Monica, creating over 1,800 affordable homes and transforming the lives of thousands of people every year. Their work contributes to Santa Monica being a more inclusive, caring, and sustainable city.
Community Corporation employs sustainable construction practices that divert and recycle construction waste and makes use of resilient materials that last. They pioneered the development of sustainable affordable housing, and created some of the first LEED Platinum Certified affordable buildings in the country. Their buildings employ the latest green design features – from solar panels, to draught-tolerant landscaping. Multiple hazardous waste collection locations are set up in common to educate tenants on proper disposal.
In house, they weaves sustainability into employee onboarding. New team members receive reusable water bottles and bamboo utensil sets to replace single-use plastics from day one. Each floor is equipped with clearly labeled, three-stream zero-waste stations for trash, organics, and recycling. To further reduce waste, all coffee fixings are purchased in bulk, and the organization has transitioned to a Juro single-serve coffee system that eliminates disposable pods and filters. Community Corporation supports the GoSaMo Transportation Management Organization, providing incentives for employees that walk, bike to work, or use micro-mobility vehicles to perform site visits.
