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Listen Listen
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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A longtime Boyle Heights homeless shelter says about 90% of its occupants these days are new asylum seekers who’ve wound up unsheltered. As new migrants land on the street and in shelters, city homeless services and NGOs say it’s hard to get a sense of how many are falling through the cracks.
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The city council wants greater transparency in how millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent to address L.A.'s unhoused crisis.
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The case tests how far state lawmakers can go in requiring cities to approve more housing in low-density areas.
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Los Angeles allows higher rent increases than other neighboring cities with rent control. There’s a new push to change the rules.
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A city’s homelessness strategy in southern Oregon has all eyes on the highest court in the country.
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Apartment Developers In LA Are Slashing Costs By Getting Rid Of Parking. Some Neighbors Aren’t HappyMost affordable housing projects being developed through a new city program feature no on-site parking. Here’s why.