Affordable housing developer proposes 73-unit complex in San Fernando Valley

Hollywood Community Housing wants to build the property in North Hills, with an estimated cost of $39M

Former Gov. Jerry Brown, who in 2018 signed a bill meant to expedite construction of supportive housing units; and 8767 N. Parthenia Place.
Former Gov. Jerry Brown, who in 2018 signed a bill meant to expedite construction of supportive housing units; and 8767 N. Parthenia Place.

California lawmakers and voters have approved a flurry of programs in the last few years to assist the state’s homeless population, including the about 59,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County. Implementing these policies has been another story, but a couple of big supportive housing projects are set to go in front of Los Angeles city officials.

One such plan is a 73-unit supportive housing project in the San Fernando Valley from Hollywood Community Housing Corporation. The nonprofit organization proposed to the city Planning Commission on Friday that it tear down the recently shuttered SEA Charter School at 8767 N. Parthenia Place in North Hills to make way for its project on the 19,227-square-foot lot.

In order to expedite approval and overcome density barriers, Hollywood Community Housing applied for an exemption under Assembly Bill 2162, a bill then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in late 2018 that overrules municipal parking requirements on supportive housing projects that are within half a mile of a transit stop. The legislation also speeds up the environmental review process for supportive housing projects.

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Supportive housing generally includes social services, like mental health counseling and food pantries, at housing sites. The median cost of building just one supportive housing unit is $530,000, according to an October report by the L.A. Controller’s Office. City voters passed Measure HHH in 2016, which is meant to contribute $1.2 billion toward supportive housing projects via the bond market. As of the October controller’s report, there were 19 total supportive housing units in L.A. County under construction.

Hollywood Community House does not mention Measure HHH in its project proposal, and it is unclear how the project will be paid for. Messages left Monday at Hollywood Community Housing Corporation’s main office were not returned. Per the controller’s numbers, it would cost about $39 million to build all 73 units.

Hollywood Community House’s plans comes a day after Daylight Community Development proposed a 46-unit supportive housing project in Van Nuys, as Urbanize first reported, the latest of its several supportive housing projects in the San Fernando Valley as well as South Los Angeles.