LAHSA and Housing Diversity Corp. Partner to bring LA County its Largest Master Leased Building
The building’s 147 homes for people experiencing homelessness will increase LAHSA’s Master Leasing Program’s portfolio by two-thirds.
Los Angeles— The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and the Housing Diversity Corporation today announced the opening of Vida DTLA, part of LAHSA’s expanding Master Leasing program. Located in downtown Los Angeles’ South Park neighborhood, Vida DTLA provides 147 permanent homes to people experiencing homelessness, making it the largest master leased building in LAHSA’s portfolio.
LAHSA’s new Master Leasing program is a critical piece of LAHSA’s hands-on strategy to move people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing faster. Through Master Leasing, LAHSA becomes a building’s landlord, removing many of the barriers that keep our unhoused neighbors from finding a permanent home.
Before the addition of Vida DTLA, the Master Leasing strategy had opened 246 homes for people experiencing homelessness. With Vida DTLA, LAHSA’s Master Leasing portfolio expands by two-thirds to 393 units.
“The opportunity to cut through red tape and biases is what makes master leasing appealing,” said LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum. “This building represents a significant expansion of LAHSA’s master leasing efforts and permanent housing opportunities. We’re deeply committed to the rehousing system and exploring all resources to bring our unhoused neighbors indoors.”
Located in downtown Los Angeles’ South Park neighborhood, the Vida DTLA building is an important extension to LAHSA’s Master Leasing program. The Housing Diversity Corporation (HDC) developed the building of 147 residential studio apartments for unhoused neighbors. The building includes copious community spaces, an expansive rooftop deck with views of the LA Skyline, private workspaces, and bicycle storage.
The development was completed within 24 months of breaking ground. Vida was entitled through Los Angeles’ Transit Oriented Communities Incentive Program, which allowed for greater density and no parking, supporting HDC’s goal to bring more affordable and sustainable apartments to LA.
Early believers in the project included Century Housing CDFI, which provided acquisition financing, Costco Co-Founder Jim Sinegal, and Pinnacle Partners. This firm focuses on Opportunity Zone developments that leave a lasting positive impact on the communities where they invest. Vida also received bridge debt from the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Affordable Housing Initiative Fund II.
"It’s extremely exciting to have partnered with LAHSA in addressing homelessness in Downtown Los Angeles," said Brad Padden, Founder and CEO of HDC. "By combining our resources and expertise, we've been able to make significant strides in providing safe, high quality, affordable housing to those who need it most."
LAHSA is partnering with People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) to provide services to Vida DTLA participants. "Bringing unhoused individuals indoors through interim housing and initiatives like Inside Safe is a vital first step to ending homelessness, but connecting people to stable housing is key. Master Leasing allows us to swiftly move people into their own units and the onsite supportive services provided by PATH help ensure that residents have the resources and support they need to not only find stability, but to thrive,” said Sasha Morozov, Los Angeles Regional Director at PATH.
LAHSA’s master leasing strategy is funded by a partnership of the County of Los Angeles and L.A. Care Health Plan and Health Net. To improve the efficiency of the rehousing system, LAHSA’s effort aims to secure apartments on the private rental market and lease them directly to people experiencing homelessness. Using the combined advantages of leasing entire buildings with the results-oriented prioritization process, LAHSA has filled master leasing buildings in 3-5 days instead of the previous 120 days.
“At L.A. Care, we recognize that health care is more than just a plastic card in your wallet,” said John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan. “We know that housing, food, and other social needs significantly impact the overall health and wellbeing of our members and their communities, and we are committed to supporting permanent housing initiatives like this one.”
“Working together with our partners to find new, innovative ways to provide housing for many vulnerable Angelenos has been a true honor,” said Martha Santana-Chin, Plan Chief Product President at Health Net. “No one should be without a safe place to call home. By combining master leasing with Activities of Daily Living assistance in one program, we can offer meaningful support to help individuals start their journey toward stability and self-sufficiency."
As a first step, LAHSA teamed up with providers in the communities around Vida DTLA to identify eligible tenants. Prospective tenants were chosen from a pool of participants through outreach, interim housing, or encampment resolution programs like Inside Safe and Pathway Home. Tenants were accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone who did not secure a home at Vida DTLA will automatically be matched to the next available building.
“Although the Greater Los Angeles area continues to build more affordable and supportive housing, we understand the challenges of Los Angeles’ housing shortage,” continued Dr. Adams Kellum. “However, master leasing is a great example of how we can move people into housing today and get them rehoused quicker than ever.”
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