Citywide Housing Incentive Program

Dear Interested Parties,
Don’t miss out on your chance to join one of our upcoming webinars to learn more about the ordinances released as part of the Housing Element Rezoning Program! This includes the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) OrdinanceHousing Element Sites Ordinance and Resident Protections Ordinance. More information on each of these ordinances can be found below as well as on City Planning’s website here. Please click the date and time below to register. Note that the content of all three webinars will be the same.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 (English)
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 (Spanish)
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 (English)

 

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) / Certificate of Occupancy / Amnesty Program / Unpermitted ADUs / Garage Conversions

CF 16-1468-S1

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety Report with recommendations relative to identifying and reporting the proper mechanism and documentation necessary for waiving the requirement of a Certificate of Occupancy as the basis for accessory dwelling units (ADU) conversions and the development of an ADU Amnesty Program, and related matters.

Fiscal Impact Statement: No

Community Impact Statement: Yes

Against: Chatsworth Neighborhood Council
Studio City Neighborhood Council

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Biden administration to boost affordable housing programs, supply of manufactured homes

Read: Article

The Biden administration will take steps to bolster federal programs that produce affordable housing, boost the supply of manufactured homes, and promote fairer rental markets. Among these initiatives, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Treasury will indefinitely extend programs that provide an ongoing source of capital so state and local housing finance agencies can continue to offer Federal Housing Administration-insured multifamily loans.

California could fast-track homeless housing under state bill

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State Senator Josh Becker has introduced Senate Bill 1395 to speed up the time it takes to build temporary housing in California. If passed, SB 1395 will put into law that temporary, single-room housing is eligible for streamlined zoning that bypasses CEQA and other red tape approval processes. The bill will also extend the Shelter Crisis Act and the Low Barrier Navigation Center laws, which allow local governments to use emergency powers to provide services and housing to homeless communities.

Four L.A. City Council members look to incentivize larger family housing

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Bullet MyNewsLA – February 9

Last Friday, four Los Angeles City Council members introduced a motion to incentivize developers to build more large-family housing across the city. Council President Paul Krekorian, alongside council members Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez, and Katy Yaroslavsky are calling for an increase of rental units with three or more bedrooms for multi-generational families, and allow seniors who have adequate care to stay with their loved ones. If the full council approves the motion, the Department of City Planning will prepare an ordinance to establish a new density bonus for large-family units in multi-family buildings.

Senator Wiener introduces bill to streamline housing development in San Francisco’s coastal zones

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In a move aimed at tackling San Francisco’s dire housing shortage, State Senator Scott Wiener introduced a bill Thursday to cut the city’s red tape on coastal development. SB 951 seeks to carve out developed areas of the city from the Coastal Zone, a swath of land regulated for environmental protection, which currently hobbles urban housing projects with extra layers of permitting. Wiener’s office announced that the proposed legislation would not only expedite the approval process for new housing but also maintain the Coastal Commission’s guard over natural resources.

Newsom administration makes progress on tiny home promise

Read:  Article 

Nearly a year ago, Governor Gavin Newsom promised to deploy 1,200 tiny homes to help shelter the state’s growing population of homeless residents. Now, the state has chosen who will build those tiny homes and what they will look like — but there’s still no word on when people will be able to move in. Now that the contracts have been awarded, other cities not included in this state program can use their own funds to purchase the tiny homes without going through a lengthy process of seeking bids from multiple vendors.

 

AB 2234 (Rivas) / Internet Permitting Requirements / Post Entitlement Phase Permits / Housing Development Project Applications / Local Agency Internet Website

CF 23-1378

MOTION (HARRIS-DAWSON – KREKORIAN – YAROSLAVSKY) and RESOLUTION relative to extending the deadline to comply with Assembly Bill (AB) 2234’s Internet Permitting Requirements by two years until January 1, 2026, to allow post entitlement phase permits of housing development projects to be applied for, completed, and retrieved by the applicant on a local agency’s internet website

Recommendation for Council action:

ADOPT the accompanying RESOLUTION, and the FINDINGS as required by AB 2234 (Rivas), Chaptered into law in 2022, Government Code Section 65913.3.5(a)(2), to extend by two years, until January 1, 2026, the deadline to comply with its Internet Permitting Requirements, to allow post entitlement phase permits of housing development projects to be applied for, completed, and retrieved by the applicant on a local agency’s internet website.

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Administrative approval of one hundred percent affordable housing projects

CPC-2023-5273-CA    CITY PLANNING COMMISSION 11.16.2023

Council District: ALL

CEQA: ENV-2020-6762-EIR; SCH No. 2021010130

Last Day to Act: N/A

ENV-2020-6762-EIR-ADD1

Plan Area: Citywide PUBLIC HEARING – Completed on October 11, 2023

PROJECT SITE: Citywide PROPOSED AMENDMENT: An ordinance amending Chapter 1 and Chapter 1A of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, including Section 12.22 of Chapter 1 and Articles 9 and 13 of Chapter 1A, for the purpose of establishing procedures and performance standards for administrative approval of one hundred percent affordable housing projects.

REQUESTED

ACTIONS: 1. Recommend that the City Council find, the Project was assessed in the Housing Element Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) No. ENV-2020-6762-EIR, State Clearinghouse No. SCH No. 2021010130 certified on November 29, 2021 and the Addendum (ENV-2020-6762-EIR-ADD1) approved June 14, 2022; 2. Recommend that the City Council instruct that the proposed Ordinance be incorporated into the New Zoning Code, subject to changes to conform to the format and style of the New Zoning Code; 3. Recommend the adoption of the proposed ordinance (Exhibit A); 4. Adopt the Staff Report as the Commission’s report on the subject; and 5. Adopt the Findings;

Applicant: City of Los Angeles Staff: Jeanalee Obergfell, City Planner  mailto:jeanalee.obergfell@lacity.org

Dear Interested Parties, 
Los Angeles City Planning is pleased to announce that the proposed Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance will be considered by the City Planning Commission (CPC) on Thursday, November 16, 2023. The meeting commences at 8:30 a.m. and will occur in-person at Van Nuys City Hall located at 14410 Sylvan Street, #215, Van Nuys, CA 91401. There is also an option to virtually join the meeting and provide public comment over Zoom. Additional information on how to participate in the meeting is provided in the agenda, available here. Following the City Planning Commission’s recommendation on the proposed ordinance, it will proceed to the City Council for consideration and possible adoption.
Los Angeles City Planning has prepared this proposed ordinance in response to a City Council Motion (Council File No. 23-0623), amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to create an administrative review process for 100% affordable housing projects, subject to eligibility requirements and performance standards. This proposed ordinance incorporates the streamlining provisions of Executive Directive 1 (ED 1) into the LAMC in an effort to increase affordable housing throughout the City by shortening the time, risk and cost it takes to approve qualifying affordable housing projects.
The Staff Recommendation Report to the CPC is now available for the public and discusses the changes made to the proposed Ordinance in response to public comment and feedback. To view more information regarding the proposed Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance, including the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Sheet, please visit the webpage linked here and search for “Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance.”
Following consideration by the City Planning Commission, the ordinance would move to the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee of the City Council before eventually heading to the full City Council for consideration and adoption.

Housing Element / Public Facilities Zones / Housing Production / Zoning and Density Restrictions / Los Angeles Municipal Code / Amendment

CF 21-1230-S4     AT CITY COUNCIL 11.04.2023

PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT relative to preparing an ordinance amending Section 12.04.09 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to remove zoning and density restrictions that would limit the amount of housing produced in Public Facilities Zones and any City owned parcels for any project where the majority use of the site is for civic purposes and publicly owned permanent affordable housing, and related matters.

Recommendations for Council action, as initiated by Motion (Soto – Martinez – Harris-Dawson – Hutt):

INSTRUCT the Department of City Planning, and the City Attorney’s Office, as part of the implementation program for the current City Housing Element, to either prepare and present an ordinance which would either amend Section 12.04.09 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code or incorporate new incentives within the Housing Element Rezoning Program and Citywide Housing Incentive Program to remove zoning and density restrictions that would limit the amount of housing produced in Public Facilities Zones and any publicly-owned parcels for any project where the majority use of the site is for civic purposes and publicly owned permanent affordable housing.

INSTRUCT the City Administrative Office (CAO) and Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) to prepare a report identifying the lead department or departments that will lead on the delivery of public housing on public lands, and the roles of each in the design and project management of civic projects which fall under their departmental scope.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the CAO nor the CLA has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted

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Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance

Source:  DCP Newsletter

In September, City Planning released a draft of a proposed ordinance that would create an administrative review process for 100% affordable housing projects. The Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance, prepared in response to a City Council motion, would incorporate the streamlining provisions of Mayor Bass’s Executive Directive 1 (ED 1) into the Los Angeles Municipal Code.

The proposed ordinance’s administrative review process would significantly reduce the time, risk, and costs associated with reviewing affordable housing projects. If adopted, it would accelerate the approval and production of affordable housing across the City.

City Planning will hold an online public hearing for the Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance on Wednesday, October 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Department is accepting written comments on the proposed ordinance by email to planning.housingpolicy@lacity.org through October 30.

Coastal Development Permit Program Ordinance Approved and Referred for Form and Legality Review

Source:  DCP Newsletter

On September 5, the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee of the City Council voted to approve the proposed Coastal Development Permit Program Ordinance. On September 19, the City Council adopted the PLUM Committee’s recommendations and referred the ordinance to the Office of the City Attorney for form and legality review. Approved by the City Planning Commission in July, the proposed ordinance would incorporate the California Coastal Commission’s amendments to the City’s processes and procedures for Coastal Development Permits into the Los Angeles Municipal Code. These amendments clarify procedural language to more closely align with the Coastal Act, among other changes previously adopted by the City Council such as increasing the public hearing notification period from 10 to 24 days, extending the public hearing notification radius from 100 to 300 feet, and lengthening the local appeal period from 10 working days to 15 calendar days.

In June, the City postponed the operative date of the Processes and Procedures Ordinance to January 22, 2024, so that it and the Coastal Development Permit Program could take effect simultaneously. The Processes and Procedures Ordinance reorganizes the administrative provisions of the Zoning Code to make the City’s zoning regulations more user-friendly.

The City Council will consider the final Coastal Development Permit Program Ordinance prepared by the Office of the City Attorney at an upcoming meeting.

City’s ability to adopt or implement inclusionary zoning

CF 18-0315    

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE REPORT relative to funding to conduct a Phase II of the Citywide Inclusionary Zoning Study.

Recommendation for Council action; SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

AUTHORIZE the Controller to reappropriate the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 uncommitted amount of $162,805 to FY 2023-24, Department of City Planning (DCP), Fund No. 100/68, Account No. 003040, Contractual Services, from the Los Angeles Housing Department Housing Impact Trust Fund, Fund No. 43/59T, Appropriation Account No. 43W168.

Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the DCP. Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted


Click on the BLUE HIGHLIGHT to view official documents.

  • 08/23/2023 Council action final.  Mayor Concurrence/Council Action 08/23/2023
  • 08/22/2023 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is September 1,
  • 08/18/2023 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 08/15/2023 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 18, 2023.   Report from Housing and Homelessness Committee 08/02/2023
  • 08/02/2023 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved item(s) .  Report from Department of City Planning 07/27/2023
  • 07/28/2023 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 2, 2023.  Report from Department of City Planning 07/27/2023
  • 07/28/2023 Department of City Planning document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.  Report from Department of City Planning 07/27/2023
  • 07/27/2023 Document(s) submitted by Department of City Planning, as follows:  Report from Department of City Planning 07/27/2023

Department of City Planning report, dated July 27, 2023, relative to a request for reappropriation of funds to conduct a Phase II of the Citywide Inclusionary Zoning Study.

  • 06/30/2023 Council action final.  Mayor Concurrence/Council Action 06/30/2023
  • 06/29/2023 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is July 10, 2023. Amending Motion (Raman – Krekorian) 06/28/2023, Report from Housing and Homelessness Committee 06/21/2023
  • 06/28/2023 Council adopted item, as amended, forthwith.  Amending Motion (Raman – Krekorian) 06/28/2023, Report from Housing and Homelessness Committee 06/21/2023
  • 06/23/2023 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on June 28, 2023.  Report from Housing and Homelessness Committee 06/21/2023
  • 06/21/2023 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved item(s) .  Report from Housing and Homelessness Committee 06/21/2023
  • 06/16/2023 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 21, 2023.  Report from Los Angeles Housing Department 05/25/2023
  • 06/05/2023 Housing Department document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.  Report from Los Angeles Housing Department 05/25/2023
  • 06/02/2023 Document(s) submitted by Mayor, as follows:  Report from Los Angeles Housing Department 05/25/2023

Los Angeles Housing Department report, dated June 2, 2023, relative to a request for approval to conduct a phase II of the Citywide Inclusionary Zoning Study.

  • 07/09/2021 Council action final.
  • 07/02/2021 Community Impact Statement submitted by Empowerment Congress North Area NDC.  Refer to CF 18-0315  
  • 07/01/2021 Council adopted item forthwith.  Report from Housing Committee 06/28/2021
  • 06/30/2021 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on July 1, 2021.  Report from City Administrative Officer 06/17/2021
  • 06/23/2021 Housing Committee approved as amended .  Report from City Administrative Officer 06/17/2021, Report from Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department 04/06/2021
  • 06/18/2021 Housing Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 23, 2021.  Report from City Administrative Officer 06/17/2021, Report from Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department 04/06/2021
  • 06/18/2021 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Housing Committee.  Report from City Administrative Officer 06/17/2021
  • 06/17/2021 Document(s) submitted by City Administrative Officer, as follows:  Report from City Administrative Officer 06/17/2021

City Administrative Officer report 0220-00540-1549, dated June 17, 2021, relative to the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department request for approval to conduct a feasibility study of a citywide inclusionary zoning requirement.

  • 05/20/2021 Housing and Community Investment Department document(s) referred to Housing Committee.  Report from Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department 04/06/2021
  • 05/19/2021 Document(s) submitted by Mayor, as follows:  Report from Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department 04/06/2021

Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department report, dated April 6, 2021, relative to a request for approval to conduct a feasibility study of a citywide inclusionary zoning requirement.

  • 05/09/2018 Council action final.  Council Action 05/09/2018
  • 05/08/2018 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.  Report from Housing Committee 04/25/2018
  • 05/01/2018 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 8, 2018 .   Report from Housing Committee (April 25, 2018) , Motion (April 11, 2018)
  • 04/26/2018 Housing Committee approved item(s) . Motion (April 11, 2018)
  • 04/20/2018 Housing Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 25, 2018. Motion (April 11, 2018)
  • 04/11/2018 Motion document(s) referred to Housing Committee.  Motion (April 11, 2018)

SB 423 Streamlined housing approvals: multifamily housing developments.

Read:  SB 423        CURRENT STATUS  07/18/23 From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 10).

An act to amend Section 65913.4 of the Government Code, relating to land use.  Under SB 423, all of the provisions of SB 35 will be extended to 2036, and will also be expanded to more completely cover mixed-income housing developments. If passed and signed into law, SB 423 will require that cities approve a housing development application if the project fulfills the following criteria:

  • The project is located on an urban infill site – meaning it is in an urban area, and 75% of the lot borders other developed parcels of land;
  • The site is zoned for residential or mixed uses in the jurisdiction’s general plan, and is consistent with objective design standards;
  • Developers pay prevailing wage on all projects with more than 10 units;
    • For projects with 50 units or more, the developer must provide healthcare benefits
    • For projects over 85 feet, the developer must prioritize hiring a skilled and trained workforce
    • When available, developers must hire workers participating in an apprentice program
  • The site is not located in farmland, wetlands, a very-high fire risk zone, a hazardous waste site, floodplains and floodways, a habitat for protected species, or land under a conservation plan or easement; and
  • The project follows all other applicable objective laws and ordinances, such as zoning rules and environmental safety rules.

The bill would authorize the Department of General Services to act in the place of a locality or local government, at the discretion of that department, for purposes of the ministerial, streamlined review for development in compliance with the above-described requirements on property owned by or leased to the state. The bill would extend the operation of the streamlined, ministerial approval process to January 1, 2036. The bill would provide that the streamlined, ministerial approval process does not apply to applications for developments proposed on qualified sites, defined as a site that is located within an equine or equestrian district and meets certain other requirements, that are submitted on or after January 1, 2024, but before July 1, 2025.

This bill would modify the above-described objective planning standards, including by deleting the standard that prohibits a multifamily housing development from being subject to the streamlined, ministerial approval process if the development is located in a coastal zone and by providing an alternative definition for “affordable rent” for a development that dedicates 100% of units, exclusive of a manager’s unit or units, to lower-income households.

The bill would, among other modifications, delete the objective planning standards requiring development proponents to pay at least the general prevailing rate of per diem wages and utilize a skilled and trained workforce and would instead require a development proponent to certify to the local government that certain wage and labor standards will be met, including a requirement that all construction workers be paid at least the general prevailing rate of wages, as specified. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to enforce the obligation to pay prevailing wages. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would specify that the requirements to pay prevailing wages, use a workforce participating in an apprenticeship, or provide health care expenditures do not apply to a project that consists of 10 or fewer units and is not otherwise a public work.

Housing Element Rezoning: Citywide Program Update

Housing Element Rezoning Program Virtual Office Hours
July 10-11, 14, 17-18, and 21, 2023

RSVP to attend the Google Meet 

Dear Interested Parties,

Don’t miss out on your chance to share your thoughts on the Citywide Housing Incentive Program Concepts! Help shape the program by engaging in the Concept Explorer and Survey, joining us at an upcoming office hour, or emailing your ideas to housingelement@lacity.org. Stakeholders can reserve 20-minute one-on-one office hours held virtually via Google Meet. Register today!

Resources:

 

Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Incentive Program / Covenanted Affordable Units / Unsubsidized / Schedule 1 (HUD Rents) / Schedule 6 or 7 (HCD Rents) / Schedule Reversion

CF 23-0490                     AT CITY COUNCIL 06.30/2023 

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE REPORT relative to changing the rent schedule for the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Incentive Program.

Recommendation for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Raman – Hernandez – Soto-Martinez):
INSTRUCT the Los Angeles Housing Department, with support from the City Attorney, and any other relevant departments, to report within 30 days with a clear plan for changing the TOC Incentive Program from Schedule One, HUD rents, which has been in effect since October 2022, back to Schedule Six or Seven, HCD rents. The report should also include additional options to minimize rent amounts for lower-income tenants of 100% affordable housing projects while ensuring that those projects meet any other funding source requirements.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted

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Deed-Restricted Affordable Housing Units / Site Plan Review Exemption / City Zoning Code / Amendment

CF 22-0268              AT CITY COUNCIL 06.30.2023

HOUSING ELEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR) and ADDENDUM; COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION relative to amending Sections 16.05 of Article 6.1 of Chapter I of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to add certain exemptions for affordable housing projects.

Recommendations for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

FIND, based on the whole of the administrative record, that this project was assessed in the Housing Element EIR No. ENV-2020-6762-EIR, State Clearinghouse No. (SCH No.) 2021010130 certified on November 29, 2021, and the Addendum (ENV-2020-6762-EIR-ADD1) approved June 14, 2022.

FIND that the adoption of the draft Ordinance is in conformity with the public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good zoning practice, as required under Los Angeles City Charter Section 558.

FIND that the adoption of the draft Ordinance is in substantial conformance with the purposes, intent, and provisions of the General Plan, as required under the Los Angeles City Charter Section 556.

PRESENT and ADOPT the accompanying ORDINANCE, dated June 22, 2023, amending Section 16.05 of Article 6.1 of Chapter I of the LAMC to add certain exemptions for affordable housing projects.

Applicant: City of Los Angeles
Case No. CPC-2023-1083-CA
Environmental Nos. ENV-2020-6762-EIR, SCH No. 2021010130; ENV-2020-6762-EIR-ADD1

 

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SB-4 Planning and zoning: housing development: higher education institutions and religious institutions.

Read;  SB 4        UPDATE 06/28/23  State Asm Housing and Community Development

This bill would require that a housing development project be a use by right upon the request of an applicant who submits an application for streamlined approval, on any land owned by an independent institution of higher education or religious institution on or before January 1, 2024, if the development satisfies specified criteria, including that the development is not adjoined to any site where more than one-third of the square footage on the site is dedicated to industrial use. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. Among other things, the bill would require that 100% of the units, exclusive of manager units, in a housing development project eligible for approval as a use by right under these provisions be affordable to lower-income households, except that 20% of the units may be for moderate-income households, and 5% of the units may be for staff of the independent institution of higher education or the religious institution that owns the land, provided that the units affordable to lower-income households are offered at affordable rent, as set in an amount consistent with the rent limits established by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, or affordable housing cost, as specified. The bill would authorize the development to include ancillary uses on the ground floor of the development, as specified.

Council and Committee Referral – Wednesday, June 28, 2023

 

22-0600-S54 Update processes related to low-impact development and stormwater approval for the construction of housing.
To Energy and Environment Committee
City Attorney report R23-0244, dated June 27, 2023, relative to a draft Ordinance amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code to update processes related to low-impact development and stormwater approval for the construction of housing.

SB-684 Land use: streamlined approval processes: development projects of 10 or fewer single-family residential units on urban lots under 5 acres.(2023-2024

Read:  SB 684

STATUS:  06/21/23 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 21). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

The Planning and Zoning Law contains various provisions requiring a local government that receives an application for certain types of qualified housing developments to review the application under a streamlined, ministerial approval process depending on the type of housing development, as specified. Existing law, known as the Starter Home Revitalization Act of 2021, requires a city or county to approve an application for a small home lot housing development project, as defined, on a proposed site to be subdivided unless the city or county makes a finding related to the development’s compliance with certain requirements or the development’s specific, adverse public health or safety impact.

This bill would require a local agency to ministerially approve, without discretionary review or a hearing, a parcel map or a tentative and final map for a housing development project that meets specified requirements. In this regard, the bill would require the housing development to consist of 10 or fewer single-family residential units, meet certain minimum density requirements, and be located on a lot zoned for multifamily or single-family residential development that is no larger than 5 acres and is substantially surrounded by qualified urban uses.

The bill would also require a local agency to issue a building permit for a subdivision if, among other requirements, the applicant received a tentative map approval or parcel map approval for the subdivision pursuant to the bill’s provisions described above.

Proposed Site Plan Review Amendment for Affordable Housing

Dear Interested Stakeholders:

We are excited to share that the proposed Site Plan Review Amendment for Affordable Housing is expected to be considered by the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee of the City Council on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The PLUM Committee meeting agenda and live broadcast will be accessible online at clerk.lacity.org/calendar.

The proposed ordinance would exempt deed restricted affordable housing units from Site Plan Review threshold calculations, as well as certain mixed-use developments that dedicate 50 percent or more of the total project Floor Area to restricted affordable units.

We invite you to continue sharing your thoughts on the proposed Site Plan Review Amendment with the PLUM Committee by submitting written comments online to LA CouncilComment.com. Public testimony will also be heard during the general public comment portion of the meeting in­-person only; there will be no public comment accepted by teleconference during the meeting. To access materials and sign up to receive electronic notifications about the project, visit Council File 22-0268.

Boarded Up Abandoned Vacant Properties / Nuisance Resolution / Call Volume / Civil and Criminal Actions / Nuisance Abatement / Vacant Building Ordinance / Council District 15

CD 23-0439    AT CITY COUNCIL 06.14.2023 

PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT relative to a report on the volume of calls, the number of boarded up, abandoned or vacant properties and the average length of time from the initial complaint through the resolution of a nuisance at a property, received by each department since January 1, 2022; and, related matters.

Recommendations for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Rodriguez for McOsker – Price):

DIRECT the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Housing Department, Board of Public Works, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Department of City Planning, to transmit to the City Attorney within 30 days a report on the volume of calls, the number of boarded up, abandoned or vacant properties and the average length of time from the initial complaint through the resolution of a nuisance at a property, received by each department since January 1, 2022.

REQUEST the City Attorney to submit to Council a report on the number of civil or criminal actions brought by the City Attorney’s Office pursuant to the Vacant Building Ordinance or other nuisance abatement laws against property owners or tenants, and the resolution or status of such actions related to vacant and unsecured or boarded properties in Council District 15.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted

 

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Eldercare Facilities / Board and Care / Abandoned or Discontinued Properties / Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 14.3.1 (L) / Repeal

CF 23-0563     AT CITY COUNCIL 06.13.2023

CIVIL RIGHTS, EQUITY, IMMIGRATION, AGING AND DISABILITY COMMITTEE REPORT relative to requesting an Ordinance which would repeal Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) 14.3.1 (L) which currently imposes a series of requirements to re-establish eldercare facilities that have been abandoned or discontinued for a year.

Recommendation for Council action, as initiated by Motion (Raman – Yaroslavsky):

REQUEST the City Attorney to prepare and present an Ordinance, with the assistance of the Department of City Planning, which would repeal LAMC 14.3.1 (L) which currently imposes a series of requirements to re-establish eldercare facilities that have been abandoned or discontinued for a year so that the City can remove barriers to preserve eldercare facilities.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted

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SB 4 Planning and zoning: housing development: higher education institutions and religious institutions.

Read: SB 4      UPDATE  2023-06-08 Assembly Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and NAT. RES.

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 18, 2023
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 28, 2023
AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Existing law, the Zenovich-Moscone-Chacon Housing and Home Finance Act, establishes the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee within the Department of Housing and Community Development. Existing law requires the committee to allocate state low-income housing tax credits in conformity with state and federal law that establishes a maximum rent that may be charged to a tenant for a project unit constructed using low-income housing tax credits.
This bill would require that a housing development project be a use by right upon the request of an applicant who submits an application for streamlined approval, on any land owned by an independent institution of higher education or religious institution on or before January 1, 2024, if the development satisfies specified criteria, including that the development is not adjoined to any site where more than one-third of the square footage on the site is dedicated to industrial use. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. Among other things, the bill would require that 100% of the units, exclusive of manager units, in a housing development project eligible for approval as a use by right under these provisions be affordable to lower-income households, except that 20% of the units may be for moderate-income households, and 5% of the units may be for staff of the independent institution of higher education or the religious institution that owns the land, provided that the units affordable to lower-income households are offered at affordable rent, as set in an amount consistent with the rent limits established by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, or affordable housing cost, as specified. The bill would authorize the development to include ancillary uses on the ground floor of the development, as specified.

Housing Element / General Plan / 2021-2029

CF 21-1230     AT PLUM 06.06.2023 

Related to Council file No. 22-0403-S1

Department of City Planning report relative to providing a verbal report in response to the City Council’s instruction for a 120-day report on progress towards meeting Housing Element 2021-2029 rezoning targets and equity methodologies incorporated into rezoning efforts as well as an annual report on the progress made toward reaching the Housing Element Regional Housing Needs Assessment and affirmatively furthering fair housing.

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Housing Element / General Plan / Implementation Annual Progress Reports / 2022

CF 22-0403-S1       AT PLUM 06.06.2023

Related to Council file No. 21-1230

Department of City Planning report dated April 3, 2023, relative to the 2022 Annual Progress Reports on implementation of the General Plan and the Housing Element.

(Referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee and Planning and Land Use Management Committee)

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Priority Housing – Transit Schedules

Dear Stakeholder,
Please see the linked Updated Transit Service Determinations After the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic memorandum from the Department of City Planning, dated May 22, 2023. Effective immediately, City Planning will no longer recognize transit schedules that were in place as of March 17, 2020 and will instead use currently published transit schedules. Please email your questions to the Affordable Housing Services Section at planning.priorityhousing@lacity.org.

City Planning Releases New Proposed Incentives to Repurpose Vacant Commercial Spaces for Housing

 

LOS ANGELES— City Planning is launching the Citywide Adaptive Reuse program, the first of the Citywide Housing Incentive Program’s six core strategies for addressing the City’s housing crisis and meeting the bold Housing Element Rezoning obligations. Adaptive Reuse is an innovative strategy that facilitates the conversion of existing underutilized or historically significant buildings into housing.
“Los Angeles needs more housing that Angelenos can afford. Adaptive reuse development can help bring much needed housing online throughout the City. I look forward to working with the City Planning Commission, City Council and communities across Los Angeles to receive input on this important policy,” said Mayor Karen Bass.
Adaptive Reuse has been in effect in Downtown Los Angeles since 1999 and is touted as one of the reasons behind Downtown’s resurgence in recent decades. In Downtown alone, Adaptive Reuse created more than 12,000 housing units during its first 15 years in effect. Building on this success, the expanded program will now make Adaptive Reuse conversions available citywide with fewer regulatory burdens, opening new doors for housing Angelenos.
“The Adaptive Reuse Ordinance seeks resourceful solutions to create more housing opportunities,” said Director of Planning Vince Bertoni. “Reuse of buildings is a sustainable practice that conserves many of the resources used to build them, reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with ground-up construction. By mixing commercial and residential uses and bringing residents and visitors close to jobs and services, conversions can also play a part in improving air quality and reducing the numbers of vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled.”
Drafted with post-pandemic economic recovery in mind, the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance incentivizes the conversion of existing commercial buildings to housing, providing a faster review process for older buildings, allowing for flexible unit sizes, and allowing buildings to retain their building shell while the interior may be converted to housing. The ordinance aims to reduce vacant space, extend the life of buildings, lower carbon emissions, and revitalize historic structures, all while creating new housing opportunities.
City staff will host three upcoming webinars June 6 through 8, which will provide an opportunity to learn more about the details of the program. Each webinar will cover the same material, and will include program background, information on the proposed revisions to the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, and further opportunities to provide feedback.
Click here to view the draft Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, and here to view the Citywide Adaptive Reuse Fact Sheet. To learn more about the Citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance and the Citywide Housing Incentive program, sign up for updates here.

Adaptive Reuse Update

Dear Stakeholder,
Last month, LA City Planning introduced the newest Housing Element Rezoning Program work effort, the Citywide Housing Incentive Program, with three public webinars. The webinars introduced the Citywide Housing Incentive Program’s six core strategies including expanding the Adaptive Reuse program, updating the Affordable Housing Incentive Programs, incentivizing housing on Opportunity Corridors, creating affordable housing opportunities through the Affordable Housing Overlay, facilitating Missing Middle housing, and enhancing process streamlining. To learn more about these strategies and provide your feedback visit the Concept Explorer and Survey and the Housing Element Rezoning Program website.
We are excited to announce the release of the initial draft of the expanded Adaptive Reuse program strategy. The expanded program will update the City’s existing Adaptive Reuse Ordinance to build upon the success of the City’s 1999 program, which led to the creation of more than 12,000 housing units in Downtown LA and sparked economic regeneration, all while preserving and reinvigorating the City’s architectural legacy.
Los Angeles is now facing a different set of challenges, including a housing shortage and post-pandemic economic recovery, which has led Los Angeles City Planning to propose a reimagining of the City’s adaptive reuse policies. The ordinance incentivizes the conversion of existing commercial buildings to housing, providing a faster review process for buildings over 15 years old, allowing for flexible unit sizes, and providing relief from certain development standards that apply to newly constructed buildings. This ordinance aims to reduce vacant space, extend the life of buildings, lower carbon emissions, and revitalize historic structures.
To learn more about the strategy we hope you will attend one of three upcoming interactive webinars, which will include program background, information on the proposed revisions to the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance and opportunities to provide feedback. Please click the date and time below to register. Note that the content of all three webinars is the same.
Click here to view the draft Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, and here to view the Citywide Adaptive Reuse Fact Sheet. To learn more about the Citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance and the Citywide Housing Incentive program, sign up for updates here or email housingelement@lacity.org to provide feedback.
About the Citywide Housing Incentive Program
Following the 2022 certification of the 2021-2029 Housing Element, City Planning staff has been working to develop and implement the ambitious programs identified in the Plan to House LA. The Plan identified that there is a significant housing need in Los Angeles, reflected by high rents, overcrowded conditions, and increasing housing instability. The Citywide Housing Incentive Program aims to address Los Angeles’ significant housing needs, for the City to provide greater housing access and meet its state housing obligations. The Citywide Housing Incentive Program will be implemented through one or more zoning code amendments developed simultaneously over a two year period (2023-2025). To learn more about the program click here.
Upon request, Los Angeles City Planning can facilitate having sign language interpreters and translation between English and other languages available to the public. All requests must be made at least three working days or 72 hours in advance of the event or meeting date. To request accommodations or translation services, or for other questions, please email housingelement@lacity.org.

SB 4 (Wiener) / Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act / Expedited Development

CF 23-0002-S30

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHIEF LEGISLATIVE ANALYST and RESOLUTION (YAROSLAVSKY – RAMAN) relative to establishing the City’s position regarding SB (Senate Bill) 4 (Wiener), which expresses the intent to enact legislation to address streamlining the creation of affordable low and moderate-income housing on faith-based lands.

Recommendation for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE CONCURRENCE OF THE MAYOR:

ADOPT the accompanying RESOLUTION to include in the City’s 2023-24 State Legislative Program SUPPORT for SB 4 (Wiener) which expresses the intent to enact legislation to address streamlining the creation of affordable low and moderate income housing on faith-based lands.

Community Impact Statement: Yes

Against:
Tarzana Neighborhood Council

Against unless Amended:
Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council

(Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee waived consideration of the above matter)

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Site Plan Review Ordinance

CPC-2023-1083-CA     UPDATE  City Planning Commission Letter of Determination May 17, 2023 

Council District: All
CEQA: ENV-2020-6762-EIR; ENV-2020-6762-EIR-ADD1

CPC HEARING NOTICE AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION

PUBLIC HEARING – Completed March 14, 2023
PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED
PROJECT SITE: Citywide

PROPOSED AMENDMENT:

The proposed amendment to the Site Plan Review Ordinance would amend Section 16.05 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) in order to streamline the permitting of new affordable housing units. The  proposed amendment to the Site Plan Review Ordinance would exempt deed restricted affordable units  from the 50-unit Site Plan Review threshold calculations.

REQUESTED ACTIONS:

1. Recommend that the City Council find, the Project was assessed in the Housing Element
Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) No. ENV-2020-6762-EIR, State Clearinghouse (SCH) No.
2021010130 certified on November 29, 2021 and the Addendum (ENV-2020-6762-EIR-ADD1)
approved June 14, 2022;
2. Approve and Recommend that the City Council adopt the proposed Ordinance;
3. Adopt the staff report as the Commission’s report on the subject;
4. Recommend that the City Council instruct that the proposed Ordinance be incorporated into the New
Zoning Code, subject to changes to conform to the format and style of the New Zoning Code; and
5. Adopt the Findings.

Applicant: City of Los Angeles
Staff: Jeanalee Obergfell, City Planning Associate
jeanalee.obergfell@lacity.org
(213) 978-0092