Robert Silva spent nearly five years homeless working multiple jobs to support his family. Now, for the first time in half a decade, the 41-year-old father of five will have a home to celebrate the holidays with his family.
Silva is one of 160 tenants at Los Lirios Apartments in Boyle Heights, a five-story affordable housing complex at the intersection of 1st and Soto streets that opened its doors Friday.
“It’s beautiful at Los Lirios, my kids and I love it,” said Silva. “To feel hopeful after feeling hopeless is a feeling that’s hard to describe.”
“I get to have a Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s after five years of being homeless.”
Robert Silva
A total of 9,500 applications came in for 64 units of affordable housing, a sign of the dire housing crisis facing Los Angeles, said Monica Mejia, East Los Angeles Community Corporation (ELACC) president and CEO. Even with this demand, it took 10 years for Los Lirios to open its doors.
The reason? “Red tape,” Mejia said.
It took about three years to get through the entitlement for the property, a legal process in which a developer gets government approval for development plans, Mejia said. It also took years to get Los Lirios properly financed, and roadblocks in construction led to interest on loans growing to a level of over $200,000 a month and the project losing its developer fee, something essential to paying staff working on the project.
That overly “tedious” process, Mejia said, is why some developers in the city have given up on affordable housing, calling it nearly impossible to build new properties.
“Affordable housing needs a straightforward path so that we can really serve the people of Los Angeles,” Mejia said.
Los Lirios Apartments is the first building to be constructed through a partnership between L.A. Metro, ELACC and BRIDGE Housing, an affordable housing community developer. Located next door to the Metro E Line Soto Station, the project is part of the Metro Joint Development Program, which aims to reduce auto use by linking its transportation network with retail, commercial and housing opportunities.
For Silvia Aguirre and her husband Ersamo Argomaniz, being close to public transportation is godsent as they use it to take their two children to school.
Before finding a home at Los Lirios, the low-income family lived in a one-bedroom space in South L.A. for more than 10 years. With mold, and no air conditioning, heating or natural light, Aguirre says the environment is likely why her children developed asthma.
“When I found out that we got into Los Lirios, I was overjoyed as a mother because I yearned for a better, safer place for my children,” Aguirre said. “Everyone here has treated us with kindness and respect. It’s a dream come true.”
At Los Lirios, 43 units are designated for families earning between 30 to 50% of the area’s median income, 20 are reserved for residents who previously experienced homelessness, and 1 is set aside for a property manager.
A mural adorned with the message “Juntos Boyle Heights” on its Soto-facing front was brought to life by Southern California-based artist Michelle Guerrero, better known as Mr. B Baby. It features neighborhood staples including a lowrider, a fruit vendor, the 6th Street Bridge and a mariachi band. Guerrero has worked on other projects in Boyle Heights, including the “Our Boyle Heights” mural just down a few blocks at The Wall Las Memorias.
Residential amenities on the property include a community room, laundry room, children’s play area, outdoor courtyard, workout room and onsite offices for management and service providers. The complex also includes secure storage for 52 bikes and 51 parking spaces shared between residential and commercial uses.
More than 100 people attended Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. For Silva, it was a moment to express his gratitude.
“I want to thank everyone that participated in this to bring families together in unity,” said Silva, holding his youngest son. “You all put a smile on my kid’s face.”
