Can L.A. Accomplish Affordability with 'Housing Plus, Plus, Plus'?

Alfred Fraijo Jr., partner at Sheppard Mullin, shares frustration with what he sees as a state inaction on housing and L.A.'s legacy of piecemeal planning and outdated zoning.

1 minute read

October 5, 2020, 10:00 AM PDT

By Clare Letmon


Stahl House Los Angeles

Megan Miller / View from Stahl House

With cascading crises facing the state of California and local governments this year, state legislative efforts targeting local planning and land use practices failed to pass before session's end last month. TPR spoke with Alfred Fraijo Jr., partner at Sheppard Mullin, who shares his frustration with what he sees is state inaction on housing and L.A.'s legacy of piecemeal planning and outdated zoning. 

Fraijo asserts elimination of single-family zoning provides a unique wealth-building opportunity for homeowners in historically disadvantaged communities and advocates for building robust and diverse communities through investment in 'housing plus':

"'Housing plus’ is what I'm talking about; housing plus infrastructure; housing plus open space; housing plus a comprehensive mobility plan; housing plus comprehensive regional planning; and housing plus a health overlay in communities that are disproportionately impacted by the legacy of racism in our land use policies that have impacted minorities of color and low-income communities throughout California”—Alfred Fraijo

Read the full interview at The Planning Report.

Thursday, October 1, 2020 in The Planning Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

7 hours ago - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 24 - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent