Last week, Affirmed Housing and its development partners hosted a virtual Grand Opening celebration for Aria, a permanent supportive housing community designed to reduce homelessness in Los Angeles. Located at 1532 Cambria Street, immediately west of State Route 110 and north of W Olympic Blvd., Aria is the result of an extraordinary collaboration including the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. The project, which opened in October 2020, is 100 percent occupied. Due to Affirmed Housing’s experience and well-established access to capital resources, Aria is Los Angeles’ fifth (5th) community funded by Proposition HHH to be completed. It is also the first of three (3) permanent supportive housing communities under construction by Affirmed Housing to access these funds, with the other two located in Hollywood (near US 101 and Santa Monica Blvd) and Harbor Gateway North (near the I-110 and I-105 juncture). Proposition HHH, approved by voters in November 2016, partially subsidizes the development of up to 10,000 supportive housing units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Today, 157 projects have been awarded or allocated funds as a result of Proposition HHH.
Mayor Eric Garcetti of the City of Los Angeles, states, “Aria is a home for 56 of our most vulnerable neighbors. More than a place to stay in recovery, it’s a place to rebuild and reimagine a prosperous and stable life, to renew the promise of better days ahead. At Aria Apartments, every resident is safe and supported as they chart his or her future. Every individual has access to critical services from counseling to case management, addiction recovery, and so much more.”
With a contemporary design, Aria consists of 57 apartment homes (including one manager’s unit) in a five-story building. The 48 studios range from 360-377 square feet, and 8 one-bedroom homes are 520 square feet each. The community features dual elevator access to all levels, including a landscaped rooftop terrace. Additional amenities include a spacious community room, a computer room, laundry facilities, and bike facilities. An additional ground-floor courtyard will provide shade trees and a resident garden. On-site services include property management and case management. Provided by Homeless Health Care of Los Angeles, case managers deliver services that focus on physical health, mental health, budgeting, and respond to the unique needs and challenges of the formerly homeless residents.
Affirmed Housing President & CEO, James Silverwood, states, “One of the advantages of building affordable, higher density housing near the core of Los Angeles is that we have existing transit and transportation options. This transit-friendly location will help the City to meet some of its climate goals, and reduce carbon emissions, too.”
Aria is the result of an extensive collaboration, including the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Development partners include architect Togawa Smith Martin, Walton Construction, Fuscoe for civil engineering, and EPT Design for landscape architecture. Financial partners include Boston Capital and Banner Bank. Homeless Healthcare of Los Angeles is providing on-site services, and Las Palmas Foundation is the nonprofit partner.
Mayor Garcetti adds, “Inspired by the progress we have made and grateful to the leaders who took this project from dream to reality—for my friend, Councilmember Gil Cedillo to Jim Silverwood and the Affirmed Housing team, and everyone else who has been a part of this dream—I say thank you, and let’s keep building strength until everyone has a home to call their own.”
Affirmed Housing
Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing. The company aims at enhancing communities and our environment by building dynamic, professionally-managed, high-quality green multifamily housing. Areas of expertise include site selection, engineering, architecture, construction, relocation, and marketing. Affirmed also has extensive knowledge in public finance, low-income housing tax credit acquisition, and tax-exempt bond financing. The company has financed over $1.85 billion in affordable development, with 4,700 units developed or under development in 61communities. For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com.
