A Los Angeles hip-hop entrepreneur said Wednesday he will cover one month's rent for several hundred senior citizens -- among the most susceptible to the threat of the coronavirus -- living in Watts public housing developments.
Anthony Tiffith, founder of Top Dawg Entertainment, said he will donate $86,000 to pay rent for 311 units in Jordan Downs, Imperial Courts and his own former home of Nickerson Gardens. The developments are operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
The charitable contribution will benefit "some of our population's most vulnerable and at-risk residents,'' said HACLA President and CEO Doug Guthrie.
"Senior citizens are a group that are often overlooked,'' he said.
"This gesture is not just about philanthropy but humanity overall, and it's
just the kind of good news our city needs right now.''
Motivated to make a difference in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and passionate about the neighborhood where he grew up, Tiffith said he wants
to project a feeling of unity during a time of stress, financial insecurity and uncertainty.
"This is where I grew up,'' said Tiffith, whose label issues the work of multiple Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar. "These are my people and I wanted to show the seniors that we're in this together. They're not alone.''