A 64-unit affordable and supportive housing community for people who have experienced homelessness has opened in the Historic Filipinotown neighborhood of Los Angeles.
HiFi Collective is the latest development from nonprofit Linc Housing, which partnered with Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA). In addition to the apartments, the five-story building will feature SIPA’s headquarters, due to be completed in the spring, on the first floor.
"The vast majority of Historic Filipinotown residents are renters, and their median income is about 40% of Los Angeles County’s median income,” said Los Angeles County supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “There is a great need for affordable, stable housing in this neighborhood. To that end, it is critical that we continue our work to bring more housing projects like HiFi Collective forward and the necessary services our residents need to thrive.”
Officials noted that solving homelessness requires more than just housing.
With funding support from Measure H through the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and its Housing for Health division, Linc will provide intensive case management services to help ensure housing stability for residents. Supportive services include mental health and physical health services, employment counseling and job placement, education, substance use counseling, money management, assistance in obtaining and maintaining benefits, and referrals to community-based services and resources.
In addition to the apartments and wraparound services, HiFi Collective’s residents will benefit from additional amenities, including a community room, a computer lab, a community kitchen, indoor bike parking, laundry facilities, an outdoor deck, and offices for supportive services. The location is convenient to public transportation, shopping, and other services.
“Being homeless wears on people’s bodies. It wears on their souls. And it wears on our moral conscience,” said Suny Lay Chang, president and chief operating officer of Linc Housing. “HiFi Collective brings 63 people inside, providing the space and support for healing and rest. We know that providing housing first is how we fix the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles. Linc is proud to partner with SIPA to be part of the solution.”
The ground floor headquarters for SIPA will feature new spaces to expand its community programming with a 2,700-square-foot multipurpose area, a professional grade kitchen, a technology center, and the new John Eric Swing Small Business Center, featuring resources and incubator spaces for entrepreneurs and small business owners interested in working in the HiFi neighborhood or with the Fil-Am community. SIPA named the John Eric Swing Small Business Center in honor of SIPA’s executive director and community leader who died of COVID-19 in 2020.
“This moment means so much to all of us, SIPA’s board and staff, as we welcome the first HiFi Collective residents who now can call Historic Filipinotown home,” said Kimmy Maniquis, SIPA executive director. “SIPA was founded here in HiFi 50 years ago, when many of our families also migrated and have continued to migrate here and build community. Recognizing housing as a human right, SIPA added affordable housing to its mission and work more than 20 years ago, and we continue to remain committed to that endeavor.”
Funding for the $35.8 million development comes from a variety of sources, including construction and permanent loans from Bank of America, $12.7 million in Proposition HHH funds managed by the city of Los Angeles Housing Department, $6.8 million in No Place Like Home funds from the Los Angeles County Development Authority on behalf of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and $8.8 million in low-income housing tax credit equity from Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments. The building receives rental subsidy from the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. The California Endowment provided predevelopment support.
HiFi Collective was designed by D33 Design & Planning, with cultural design by Synthesis Design + Architecture. It was built by Walton Construction. All apartments were filled through referrals from the County of Los Angeles Coordinated Entry System.
