Casa de Rosas, also known as the Froebel Institute and the Sunshine Mission, is a historic building in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. It is the oldest women's shelter in Los Angeles.[3]
The building was designed by Sumner P. Hunt and built in 1893.[3] It was originally an experimental kindergarten and has also been used over the years as a prestigious college preparatory school for girls, an inn and restaurant, a military barracks in World War II, the headquarters of L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics Foundation, and a shelter for homeless women.[4]
Casa de Rosas in June 2017, still boarded up after a mistaken partial demolition in 2016.
In 2015, the Housing Community Investment Department of Los Angeles (HCID) issued an RFP to redevelop the site, and the winning development team set out to create affordable housing for veterans.[5] In 2016, a construction company mistakenly began demolishing a part of the complex, leaving the interior features of one of the buildings open to water damage, dry rot, and mold.[5] Subsequently, an $18 million restoration effort successfully rehabilitated Casa de Rosas's four historic buildings into 37 residential units—studios, one and two-bedroom units, management offices, common spaces, laundry rooms, and fitness rooms. Exterior aesthetics and landscaping were restored using historic photos. [5]
In 2022, the L.A. Conservancy awarded Casa de Rosas a Preservation Award.[5] In 2023, Casas de Rosas opened to house veterans, with city officials, local leaders and USC President Carol L. Folt present for the occasion.[6]
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