Lumina: Affirmed Housing’s Bold Move to Combat Homelessness and Honor Veterans
In a laudable stride towards addressing homelessness, Affirmed Housing has opened the doors of Lumina in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles. This supportive housing development signifies a beacon of hope, particularly for the formerly unhoused veterans and individuals with disabilities, marking a vital step in their journey towards stability and independence.
Lumina emerges not just as a housing solution but as a bold statement of community care, crystallized in bricks and mortar. With its thoughtful design, the five-story edifice transforms a once-vacant car lot into 54 studious homes, focusing on residents earning 30% of the AMA, with half dedicated to our brave unhoused veterans, and one manager unit. This robust initiative garnered support through California’s Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Program (VHHP) and Measure HHH, reinforcing the social fabric with threads of empathy and action.
State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, deeply involved in the project, passionately noted, “As the Chair of the Assembly Military and Veteran Affairs Committee, I’m especially proud that my own community of Chatsworth is housing veterans experiencing chronic homelessness… This project exemplifies our commitment to real solutions to homelessness and I’m so proud to have supported this solution from the beginning.”
Echoing this sentiment and emphasizing the city’s overarching strategy to alleviate homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated, “We have advocated for our veterans with hundreds of mayors in Washington, DC so that they can receive the housing support and services that they deserve… Projects like this are an important part of our overall approach to save lives and bring people inside and further the City’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness.”
But Lumina stands out for more than its walls—the development brings a fusion of living space and care for its residents. Onsite case management services are provided by The People Concern, ensuring that each individual has access to care-oriented guidance. The proximity of essentials—a pharmacy, grocery store, and public transportation—strengthens the sense of autonomy and community integration.
Jimmy Silverwood, president of Affirmed Housing, encapsulates this venture’s ethos: “Lumina is a safe, secure environment where residents can reacclimate and have seamless access to specialized resources that improve their quality of life.”
As a shared space with amenities from rooftop decks to community rooms, Lumina is an example of how we, as a multifamily industry, can be the catalysts for social change. The incorporation of sustainable elements emphasizes the intersection of community responsibility and environmental consciousness, setting benchmarks for future developments.
As the multifamily sector looks to innovate and lead, projects like Lumina serve as proof that strategic vision, coupled with partnership and community engagement, frame the very foundation for impactful solutions, innovation, and a compassionate society.