The Los Angeles City Council has voted to make Mayor Karen Bass’ affordable housing initiative, known as Executive Directive 1 (ED1), a permanent part of the L.A. Municipal Code. Issued three years ago at the beginning of Bass’ term, ED1 fast-tracks approvals on 100% affordable projects, streamlining the review process to no more than 60 days, versus the typical timeframe of six to nine months.
As of November, 490 projects have been streamlined under ED1, accounting for more than 40,000 affordable housing units, the Los Angeles Times reported. Of those, 437 have been approved, with an average application process of 22 days. It’s not clear how many have been completed.
The Times reported that ED1 has been watered down over the past few years with exemptions, both by neighborhood and housing type. The exemptions will carry into the newly adopted ordinance, though they may be tweaked in the months to come, according to the Times.
