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Building Your Block
A newsletter course from LAist that explains the obstacles around housing development in L.A. and what you can do to make things better.
We know there’s a housing shortage in L.A., and it’s created major challenges for the region. But try to understand how to fix the problem and it gets murky, fast. We need more housing, but where can we actually build it? Why does it seem like all the new buildings going up are luxury apartments? Why isn’t there enough affordable housing? And most importantly: What can you actually do to support the housing you want to see in L.A.?
These are just some of the questions that Building Your Block will tackle in this seven-issue newsletter course.
Think of it as your starter guide to the conversations L.A. is having about housing development, plus we’ll bring you some real talk on what you can do to advocate for the housing future you want.
What can I expect?
Over seven issues, we’ll cover everything from how zoning rules determine what gets built and where, to why there’s so little affordable housing.
We’ll cap it all off with a long list of ideas you can put into action to influence housing decisions in your backyard, your city and beyond.
How often will you email me?
This newsletter has seven issues in total. Once you sign up, you’ll get one new issue a day until it’s done.
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The city stopped taking applications for rent relief in April. Advocates and lawmakers are pushing to reopen the program. -
On Friday city Councilmember Kevin de Leon introduced a motion directing the L.A. Housing Department to expedite payments to the tens of thousands of renters who've applied for help. -
This program would reimburse landlords for application fees, leasing bonuses, deposits and even for lost revenue due to unpaid rent, eviction and abandonment. -
After the city swept the Echo Park homeless encampment in March, what happened to it's residents? -
The hygiene stations had been removed when a pilot program ended, but council member Mark Ridley-Thomas has introduced a motion for the city to bring back some of the stations for use by unhoused Angelenos. -
These are just a couple of the side benefits UCLA researchers found when they studied the impact of the eviction moratoriums that went into place during the pandemic.
