Los Angeles Could Streamline Temporary Shelters, Permanent Supportive Housing

The city of Los Angeles is moving forward with two ordinances to develop housing solutions for its massive homeless population.

Steven Sharp reports that the city is considering the Interim Motel Conversion Ordinance, to "'remove regulatory barriers' that currently prevent existing hotels and motels from being repurposed as transitional and supportive housing."

The city is also considering the Permanent Supportive Housing Ordinance, which "would streamline the production of permanent supportive housing by amending the land use element of the City's General Plan to allow permanent supportive housing projects to exceed normal zoning rules, such as minimum lot area per dwelling unit and guest room standards."

As Sharp notes, Los Angeles voters recently approved "Measure H and HHH, County- and City-level sales tax measures which will provide billions of dollars in dedicated funding for homeless housing over the next decade." The efforts of the two ordinances described above would supplement goals of those voter-approved programs. The countywide transportation agency is also developing a transit-related homeless strategy.