Studio City’s newest affordable housing project is set to be located on Acama Street. The project was proposed in August 2025 by Haven (HVN) Development, an Irvine-based company specializing in apartment buildings and affordable housing. The project is being processed under Los Angeles’ Executive Directive (ED) 1 program created to expedite the approval process for shelters and affordable housing initiatives within the city.
The plan involves the demolition of existing buildings and the construction of a five-story complex with 131 affordable units. The project was approved under Los Angeles’ Citywide Housing Initiative Program (CHIP), which was created to address the issue of a lack of affordable housing in the city.
Studio City resident Nola Foran ’26 said she recognizes how California’s residents have recently been struggling with finding homes in reasonable price ranges.
“Affordable housing is definitely a big issue in the Valley as well as pretty much anywhere in California,” Foran said. “Though it’s not something my family has trouble with, I have several friends whose families find it very difficult to make ends meet and view steep rent as a major struggle.”
Studio City resident Mattin Tasbihgoo ’27 said he only knew about this housing project beforehand because of his parent’s involvement in the construction industry.
“As a resident, I get enough notice only because my dad works in construction and is very involved with projects all over California,” said Tasbihgoo. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t. It’s also because I’m a kid. If I could vote, I would probably know more because of the propositions, but I haven’t been fed any media or ads about it, which is where I mainly get my local news these days.”
Foran said she is not sure how to feel about this project due to the lack of information she has received.
“I’m undecided right now since I don’t know a whole lot about the project,” Foran said. “I honestly had not heard about it until now, but, if it’s genuinely as affordable as stated, then I’d be in support of it.”
Some Studio City residents have expressed concern about a complex being built in their neighborhood due to issues involving privacy, traffic and noise during construction. Tasbihgoo said he saw other affordable housing projects negatively impact the quality of life in neighborhoods where they were implemented.
“Overall, I don’t support this project,” Tasbihgoo said. “Government projects are amazing initiatives. That being said, Studio City is a high-income area and is very nice. In my experience, [through] my dad who has worked on many of these projects and [let me visit] the sites, I have seen that the people attracted to these projects often are low income. Subsequently, the value of the neighborhood has gone down. Arguably, so has the quality of living for all residents. Therefore, these projects are amazing, but just not in Studio City.”
