A Los Angeles development for homeless vets could be great news for a city in desperate need of housing, but some worry that the apartments put vets in harm’s way.
The Sun Valley Senior Veterans Apartments is a low-cost housing development in the works in LA a city desperate for housing, unfortunately those apartments are a mere 200 feet from the 5, a fact that has serious health implications. "State officials have for years warned against building homes within 500 feet of freeways, where people suffer higher rates of asthma, heart disease, cancer and other health problems linked to car and truck pollution," Tony Barboza and David Zahniser report for the Los Angeles Times. Despite these concerns the state of California will subsidize the development with money from the state's Cap and Trade fund.
Some worry that the fund is putting the city's most vulnerable in harm’s way. "Even in places with poor air quality, residents’ health will improve from walking and biking more. And they say the dangers from living near freeways can be reduced with anti-pollution design features recommended this year by state air regulators, including sound walls, vegetation barriers and high-efficiency air filters that remove some of the harmful particles from vehicle exhaust," Barboza and Zahniser report.
FULL STORY: California officials say housing next to freeways is a health risk — but they fund it anyway
The 'Vanlord' Providing Shelter to L.A.'s Homeless
A creative rental industry has emerged in Los Angeles as the affordable housing crisis grows.
More on those Freeway-Adjacent Affordable Housing Developments
The Los Angeles Times follows-up an earlier article on the dangers of building too close to freeways. It's a trade-off that the California Air Resources Board acknowledged last April with new guidelines that recognize the dire need for housing.
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What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research