The City of Los Angeles' Comprehensive Homeless Strategy has identified a need to build 1,000 units of permanent supporting housing every year to combat the region's ongoing homeless crisis. The actual rate of production amounts to a relatively meager 300 units per year.
Many of the hold ups have been attributed to the City's lengthy entitlement and processing times, which often result in delays of up to two years. In order to solve the problem, the Department of City Planning has "initiated an effort to prepare an update of ordinances related to affordable housing."
According to a motion authored by 11th District Councilmember Mike Bonin, environmental analysis for the ordinances will be carried out by a consulting firm at a cost of approximatley $295,000. Funding will be provided in part by a $100,000 grand from the California Community Foundation, with the remainder coming from the City budget.
This follows a new report by City Controller Ron Galperin, which found that the state's density bonus law has failed to "live up to its potential," producing less affordable housing than expected. The report also found that the City lacks an adequate monitoring system to ensure that subsidized affordable units are rented at appropriate price points to households at qualifying income levels.
Bonin has put forth a second motion based on the report, which calls upon the Housing, Planning, and Building and Safety Departments to report back on the issue.
