Affordable housing complex for entertainment workers in Hollywood now open

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With unit prices starting at $600, artists can live steps away from Hollywood Boulevard at a new low-income housing complex.

The all-new Cicely Tyson residential building on Hollywood's Schrader Boulevard offers first-of-its-kind affordable housing units exclusively for entertainment workers.

"You don't get to meet a lot of artists walking around every day, and so being a part of that is so special to me, because you just, you feel their vibes, and then you get that inspiration as well," said new tenant Irene Lim.

Also known as the Hollywood Arts Collective, the building's unit prices start at $600 per month for a studio and go up to $2,400 for a 3-bedroom.

"We thought, 'Why not create for those who are in the entertainment community since they really need affordable housing as well?" said Jordan Pynes, the president of the building's developer Thomas Safran and Associates.

The seven-year project cost about $625,000 per unit, the developer said.

"This was a property that was owned by the city of Los Angeles. It was a parking lot and we decided to replace that parking and then build affordable housing above. So this is really the answer," Pynes said. "This is a public-private partnership and the way affordable housing needs to be created in the city of Los Angeles."

One major donor in attendance at the grand opening: Glorya Kaufman, the founder of the USC Kaufman School of Dance. Aside from the 152 units, the building has outdoor space, a gym, laundry room and a piano in the lobby donated by actress Joely Fisher.

"We must support our creative economy and the people who sustain it," said Emma Howard of City Council District 13.

The construction of the Rita Moreno Arts Building is still underway next door to the Hollywood Arts Collective, which will boast a theater and nonprofit arts gallery. It will be open to residents and the public upon its completion in the fall of 2025.