An encampment of tents on in Downtown L.A. in 2020.
(Apu Gomes
/
AFP via Getty Images)
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It can take weeks, months even, to find the best housing fit for a newcomer in a saturated market like Los Angeles. And what about people who already live here?
LA's Housing Crisis
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This is a surprise to no one in L.A. but we have a housing crisis that continues to get worse. City officials want to aid the housing emergency by adding more units in urban areas like Downtown L.A. and Hollywood — and make 80% of them affordable. One of the biggest challenges is that land use rules, that determine where certain types of housing can be built, often get in the way.
Earlier this week, the L.A. City Council advanced a plan to try and change that.
My colleague David Wagner wrote about the latest development in this push to add 135,000 housing units in those neighborhoods and why it is such a big deal for them to invest in this community plan. Read more from David about this blueprint for new units and how these communities might be impacted.
As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below — just keep reading.
Throughout a three-month period, the Los Angeles Police Department spent more than $400,000 on city council security during meetings. This money came straight out of L.A. taxpayers pockets, and includes the time period when there were people who protested about the city council scandal tape. My colleague Frank Stoltze has more.
The San Bernardino police officers who shot and killed Rob Adams both have troubling histories with alleged use of excessive force. The California Newsroom and KVCR have this investigation into their past actions.
Mark Pestrella, the head of L.A. County Public Works isn't overly worried about a megaflood in SoCal, but he is concerned about the escalation of smaller, intense storms fueled by climate change. My colleague Erin Stone has more on how the increasing danger of the climate crisis is impacting our water supply.
There’s a proposal on a new electricity bill payment structure that could decrease costs for lower-income people: bills based on how much you earn.
The Culver City Council majority approved of scaling down the MOVE Culver City project by eliminating protected bike lanes. Community members aren’t too happy with the council’s decision. My colleague Gillian Morán Pérez has more on the backstory.
On Tuesday, Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva were both sentenced to life in prison without parole for the torture and murder of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos back in 2018. Barron is the boy’s mother and Leiva her boyfriend at the time. Repeated reports of abuse were made to the county, but the child was never removed from the home.
Could air pollution be a factor in making people depressed and anxious? Researchers have found that chronic exposure to air pollution can have negative effects on the brain. Kaiser Health News’ Jim Robbins has more details on what researchers have studied and found so far.
Maybe you’re not new to the concept of flying drones, but did you know there is a college training program to become a certified drone operator? My colleague Jackie Orchard took a trip to Fullerton College to learn about their new program and how students could actually benefit from getting a license to fly one.
The pandemic might have negatively impacted the movie theater business, but the worst might be over. My colleague John Horn reported on CinemaCon and the future of the movie theater business.
A massive eruption on the sun last Friday allowed people as far south as Mount Wilson to witness what is typically known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis. But don't worry if you missed them, they will come again. We have tips on how not to miss it the next time this happens.
*At LAist we will always bring you the news freely, but occasionally we do include links to other publications that may be behind a paywall. Thank you for understanding!
Wait! One More Thing...
A Trip To LA County's Oldest Pet Cemetery
A vintage photo of the original L.A. Pet Cemetery Mausoleum, built in 1928. The building has since been restored, and now has a red brick exterior.
(Burton O. Burt/Works Progress Administration Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)
Did you know that there is a peaceful resting place for beloved pets in Calabasas? It has a deep, Hollywood history, too.
Let’s hop in my yellow DeLorean lowrider coupe to 1928 when the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park was created by veterinarian Dr. Eugene Jones. He believed that pets deserved the decorum and ceremonious love that humans receive when they die. So he bought 15 acres in the valley and opened his pet cemetery. Celebrities soon followed. Many of Hollywood’s biggest icons buried their dogs, cats and other loved creatures there. One of the original MGM lions lies here, as does an alligator. It continues to operate to this day, serving L.A. and Ventura Counties.
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