This Key Affordable Housing Ordinance in LA Is Now Permanent

Affordable housing developers no longer have to worry about Mayor Karen Bass’ temporary Executive Directive 1 expiring.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance, permanently incorporating ED1’s benefits into the L.A. Municipal Code, the Los Angeles Times reported. Bass issued the directive in her first week in office in 2022, with the temporary order implemented immediately as part of an effort to speed up affordable housing construction projects.

The ordinance fast-tracks approval for projects comprising 100 percent affordable housing, requiring approval within 60 days, significantly shorter than the typical six to nine months for most multifamily projects.

In order to get the paperwork processed quickly, the Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance removes many discretionary review processes that often slow down the approval process for developments, including City Council hearings, environmental reports and neighborhood outreach meetings. Developers must adhere to zoning laws and design review standards in order to qualify for streamlined approval.

ED1 brought in hundreds of applications to build affordable housing in the years since its implementation. As of last month, 490 projects have been streamlined under the directive, representing more than 40,000 affordable housing units, per Planning Department data cited by the Times. Of those 490 developments, 437 have been approved. Applications made their way through the approval process in 22 days on average.

Still, the Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance could see some changes in the coming months. ED1 saw various carveouts to prevent overreach in many neighborhoods, including Bass’ 2023 exemption of single-family zones, which make up 72 percent of city land. Last year, she exempted historic districts such as parts of Highland Park and Lincoln Heights, as well as “very high fire hazard severity zones” including portions of Silver Lake and the Hollywood Hills. Bass also sought to avoid displacing renters by sparing projects that would replace rent-controlled apartment buildings with 12 units or more.

In a Dec. 2 City Council meeting, Council member Ysabel Jurado said that the exemption to preserve rent-controlled buildings should be changed to five units from 12 to avoid displacing tenants in neighborhoods like Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights. Jurado argued that the current ordinance exempts 19 percent of rent-controlled buildings, but if the minimum threshold were set at five units, it would exempt 36 percent.

Los Angeles must plan to build 456,643 units of housing by 2029 under its state-mandated housing goals, with 184,721 units set aside for affordable housing. — Chris Malone Méndez