California Approves Revised Los Angeles Housing Element

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has officially approved the revised Los Angeles housing element, known as the Plan to House L.A., which the state rejected in February “after determining the plan did not include sufficient strategies for ‘affirmatively furthering fair housing.’” 

As reported by Steven Sharp in Urbanize LA, “The revisions which allowed for L.A.'s plan to achieve state certification supplement updated zoning with new strategies prioritizing projects in high opportunity areas, enabling the redevelopment of public-facility zoned land, expanding community benefits programs, incentivizing the construction of accessory dwelling units, and assistance programs for lower-income homebuyers.” With the plan officially endorsed by the state, “​​Local planners will now be tasked with implementing zone changes to accommodate the construction of 255,000 new homes citywide in the near-term future.”

As Sharp explains, “HCD's initial rejection of the L.A. housing element carried potentially grave consequences, jeopardizing the city's ability to pursue state grants.” Now, thanks to legislation passed earlier this week, the city has until 2024 to implement the zone changes outlined in their new plan.