Old Rice Cracker Factory Becomes Home for 200 People

Our communities are finding smart ways to solve housing problems. In Los Angeles, an old Japanese rice cracker factory has become home to hundreds of people.

The Umeya factory made rice crackers for nearly 100 years until it closed in 2017. These soy sauce-glazed crackers shaped like cherry blossoms were popular in many Asian American homes. Now the building serves families in a different way.

The Little Tokyo Service Center bought the factory and turned it into The Umeya apartments. This affordable housing complex has 175 units that house 250 to 300 people when full. Residents include working adults, retirees, and families. Everyone pays no more than 30% of their income for rent.

Only 35 affordable rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renters in our country. This shows why projects like The Umeya matter so much. When we turn old buildings into housing, it's called adaptive reuse.

The project keeps the Umeya name to honor the factory's history. Rex Hamano from the original family said their business was part of Little Tokyo since 1918. Our communities can build on this example to create more affordable homes in our own neighborhoods.