Almost everyone agrees that Los Angeles is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis.  What they can't agree on is how to resolve it.  Now, Neighborhood Councils have been asked to provide the community voice to the mix and, perhaps, a consensus.

The cost of housing in LA has spiraled out of reach for most low and mid-level income households.  The City is running considerably behind on its goal to produce 8,000 new affordable units a year.  Left in the crisis wake, according to some experts, are police officers, schoolteachers, nurses, municipal workers and many other working people.  A view, contrary to the perception some have that affordable housing is mostly for the homeless.

Leading the City's solution list is a controversial concept called inclusionary zoning, which, to simplify, requires developers who are building new apartments, condos and homes to include some affordable units, generally in return for certain incentive benefits like a break on density requirements or expedited permit processing.

Council members Ed Reyes and Eric Garcetti have introduced a motion calling for a mandatory inclusionary zoning ordinance for the City.  They are hoping that a liberal list of incentives combined with the big mandatory stick will encourage developers to get with the program.

The IZ subject pushes a lot of hot buttons.  Some see it as an excellent tool for creating and preserving mixed-income communities, for affordable housing near jobs and as a major effort toward relieving LA's crisis.  Others see it as a misguided idea certain to reduce property values and the quality of their neighborhood life.  Some are for inclusionary zoning, just not in their neighborhood.  They oppose the citywide and mandatory aspects of the proposed ordinance.

The first hearing on the Reyes-Garcetti proposal was at a joint session of the Planning and Land Use and Housing Development committees on April 14.  The division between the low-income crowd members, who want some control of all developments over five units, and the builders present was sizable and passionate.  In the end, the committees decided to go to Neighborhood Councils for advice and directed the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to provide information and instructions to the City's NC's.

Lots of Players

There are a lot of players in this debate, all with philosophies and interests to protect.  Neighborhood Councils, required by Charter to represent all of the diverse interests in the community, would seem an ideal forum for taking the community's pulse and providing consensus.

The question, as one observer put it, is whether the entire city is ready for inclusionary zoning or, if the idea is still unworkable, does the city need to assess all types of uses and arrive an a heterogeneous city, possibly more amenable to the quality of life goals of Angelinos.

There is another question too, of course.  Are LA's NC's ready for yet another test of their ability to conduct a responsible analysis, reach out to their stakeholders and provide the city with serious advice on a serious issue.  The clock is ticking.

(Jim McQuiston contributed to this story.)

City Watch:  (full newsletter)
May 3, 2004
Ken Draper, Editor

The Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils
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