Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A Plan To Build Lots Of Affordable Housing Will Be On The November Ballot
There are cranes everywhere (Photo by Juliet Bennett Rylah/LAist)
()
On Tuesday, the L.A. City Council voted to place the the "Build Better L.A." initiative on to the November ballot, according to L.A. Weekly. If approved by voters, the measure would establish the framework for building affordable, low income and very low-income housing into the oodles of new housing development cropping up around the city. Officially, the ballot measure will be known as the Affordable Housing and Labor Standards for General Plan Amendments and Zoning Changes.
Development in Los Angeles is a particularly hot-button issue these days. As residential high-rises fly up all across the city—especially in Hollywood and downtown L.A.—an ideological rift between proponents both for and against residential density in L.A. has formed. Folks arguing for density argue Los Angeles must build more housing because the city has a severe housing shortage that, unless addressed, will lead to higher rents (like the Bay area). Folks arguing against density say cramming more people into our city will lead to even more congestion, much of the new development is technically illegal, and that most new building can hardly be considered 'affordable' or accessible to average Angelenos.
The Build Better L.A. initiative attempts to address the latter concern by requiring developers who want to build new buildings that require a zoning change—because they're larger than what would be otherwise permitted by the city's (extremely dated) zoning code—to make sure at least five percent of the units in the new construction are set aside for extremely low-income residents and six percent of the units are set aside for very low-income residents (11 percent total), OR five percent of the units can be aside for extremely low-income residents and 15 percent of the units designated for low-income residents (i.e. 20 percent of the total units). When talked about in the context of affordable housing, "extremely low income," "very low income" and "low income" are all technical designations, based on the median income in Los Angeles County. The full numbers breakdown can be found here.
The measure also includes provisions to ensure 30 percent of the construction workers hired to work on new projects be hired locally, and that 10 percent be hired from neighborhoods where the median household income is below $40,000 annually, according to Curbed L.A.
Support for LAist comes from
The Build Better L.A. initiative was developed by a combination of grassroots neighborhood organizations and established organized labor in Los Angeles county. Groups like T.R.U.S.T South Los Angeles, the Alliance for Community Transit-Los Angeles and the L.A. County Federation of Labor are all involved.
Coincidentally, the Build Better L.A. initiative stands virtually in direct opposition to the (also proposed) Neighborhood Integrity Initiative (NII). Where Build Better L.A. wants to spur the rate of building, the NII wants new construction to be halted all together while the city retools its (again obsolete) zoning code.
In a sense, both the initiatives are two sides of the same (obsolete zoning code) coin. Where Build Better L.A. creates a legal loophole for developers looking to get around zoning laws that restrict the height or density a proposed project, the NII thinks the city needs to overhaul it's zoning code entirely before any new building takes place. For what it's worth, institutional efforts to retool the city's old code are already underway.
13 of the 15 L.A. City Councilmembers voted in favor of placing the initiative on the November ballot. Councilmember David Ryu was the lone dissenting voice (Mitch Englander was absent).
Note: This story has been edited to reflect the correct percentages of affordable units mandated under the terms of BBLA. We originally misstated the numbers, and apologize for the error.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs. -
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
Best of LAist