The county of Los Angeles is looking for policy tools that will add affordable housing units to the housing market. Inclusionary zoning is its policy of choice.
"Housing developers seeking to build in many of Los Angeles County's unincorporated communities will soon be required to set aside units for low- and moderate-income renters," reports Steven Sharp.
With a few exceptions, the new ordinance requires rental housing projects with five or more baseline dwelling units (not including density bonus units) to include apartments for low- and extremely low-income households. "Developers will be offered three different set-aside options - ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent of the unit count - varying based on the affordability level and project site. Smaller-scale projects with 15 or fewer baseline units will be permitted to set aside fewer affordable units," according to Sharp.
The new ordinance also requires affordable units in for-sale projects: "Likewise, for-sale projects with five or more baseline dwelling units will be required to set aside homes for moderate- and middle-income households - a new category which roughly corresponds to 'workforce' housing."
Sharp's coverage of the new law includes more details on the where and how the law will be applied, and a process for evaluating the law's effectiveness in delivering the desired new affordable housing stock in unincorporated parts of L.A. County. Sharp also notes that the new inclusionary zoning ordinance furthers the county's work toward a suite of ordinances, requested by the Board of Supervisors in 2018, to spur production of affordable housing units in areas under its planning jurisdiction.
FULL STORY: L.A. County Supervisors Sign Off on Inclusionary Housing Policy
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.