AIDS Nonprofit Known for Political Battles Is Becoming a Landlord

When the AIDS Healthcare Foundation waged an unsuccessful campaign this spring to crack down on “mega projects,” affordable housing developers argued its ballot measure would hurt poor renters and thwart sorely needed construction.

Now the huge nonprofit is getting into affordable housing itself, saying it can provide it quicker and cheaper than such groups.

“The current model does not work,” said its top executive, Michael Weinstein. “It takes too much time. It costs too much money. And in a lot of cases, it excludes the people that need the most help.”

AHF is forming a new division called the Healthy Housing Foundation and has already purchased a skid row building in an effort to provide apartments for hundreds of poor tenants. It is also buying a Hollywood motel and says it plans to break ground on hundreds of new units next year in Florida.