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Construction workers at the new Lankershim apartment complex being built near Otsego Street in North Hollywood, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Major improvements are needed to increase housing production in the city of Los Angeles to meet the state’s goal of producing more than 450,000 units in LA by 2029, according to a new report released by the Los Angeles Business Council on Thursday, May 11.
The report, prepared by UCLA and California State University Northridge, concluded that the long and complex housing development process contributed to the city’s failure to meet state housing needs. According to the California Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), the city needs to add an estimated 456,643 units from 2021 to 2029, a fivefold increase from the 83,865 units produced from 2010 to 2019.
“Unless housing production accelerates significantly, the RHNA’s goals will almost certainly not be met,” the study said.
To meet the goal, the city of Los Angeles needs to complete an average of 57,000 units per year.
Expanding affordable housing policies, including Mayor Karen Bass’ top priority No. 1 to accelerate affordable housing, include raising the site plan review rating from 50 to 200 and increasing the use of master plans, among other reforms, the researchers found. It will significantly increase the production of housing.
“This study clearly shows that we need to streamline the approval process if we are to meet our housing goals,” Council President Paul Krekorian said in a statement.
Krekorian said the City Council is moving in that direction, citing the Planning Commission’s recent action in approving a request to revise site plans for affordable housing projects and affordable housing development for mixed-use and mixed-income projects.
The study analyzed every multifamily housing project approved in Los Angeles from 2010 to November 2022 and found that accelerating the pace of new housing and reducing demand approvals would have resulted in thousands of additional units.
On average, housing projects took 3.9 years to be approved and built. It took 1.5 years to approve the study.
“This study provides a unique empirical basis for ongoing policy reform focused on transparency, efficiency, and certainty that will shorten permit times and materially address the shortage of affordable and market-rate housing,” said study co-author Stuart Gabriel. . press release.
The report found that rational assessments have had the effect of “significant uncertainty” and extending the development period. For example, six months have been added to the approval process for the Planning Commission review, more than three months for site plan review and 16 months for environmental impact reports.
“This study confirms what we’ve been hearing from housing providers — that uncertainty and a lack of clear regulation to build housing in Los Angeles has hindered our ability to add housing,” Nithya Raman, chair of the House Committee on Homelessness, said in a statement.
“We need significant reform to meet our housing and affordability goals and address the city’s housing crisis.”
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