Affirmed Housing, an affordable housing developer based in San Diego, has completed its latest project – The Iris – a new affordable and supportive housing development serving low-income and formerly homeless Angelenos in Mar Vista.
The six-story development features 61 units, a mixture of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
Nearly half of the units are dedicated to residents earning 30% of the area median income, and the remaining units are set aside for family households earning between 30% and 60%.
“Building more affordable and permanent supportive housing is a critical priority and core strategy in our comprehensive and citywide effort to confront the homelessness crisis,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at the project’s opening. “For the first time in six years, homelessness is down in the city as a result of public-private partnerships and a shared commitment to urgently house Angelenos.”
In addition to housing, The Iris residents will have exclusive access to on-site supportive services and care provided by The People Concern, an Arlington Heights-based social services agency.
Building amenities include a laundry room, mail room, management and services offices, community room, rooftop deck, lounge areas, a community garden and more. It also features one manager’s unit.
Funding for its development came through a combination of sources, including the City of Los Angeles, Bank of America, deferred developer fees, and federal and state tax credits. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is providing project-based vouchers for the supportive units.
The Iris is Affirmed Housing’s second project to open in Los Angeles this year. Lumina, a supportive housing development for formerly homeless veterans and people with disabilities, opened in Chatsworth earlier this year.
“The Iris and Lumina both arrive at a critical time,” Jimmy Silverwood, president of Affirmed Housing and son of chief executive James Silverwood, said in a statement. “Vulnerable Angelenos need more than just a roof over their heads, they need a safe environment to stabilize, reacclimate and begin the next chapters of their lives.”
