L.A.'s New Housing Element Calls for 456,000 New Homes

The newly updated Housing Element of the city of Los Angeles General Plan makes an ambitious commitment to housing construction—after decades of slow construction and a population out of scale with the city's housing stock.

1 minute read

December 7, 2021, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Los Angeles City Council voted in November "to adopt an update to the general plan's housing element which aims to accommodate the construction of up nearly 500,000 new homes," reports Steven Sharp for Urbanize Los Angeles.

The Housing Element update, titled the "Plan to House L.A.," requires the city "to add approximately 57,000 new homes annually between 2021 and 2029," reports Sharp. Living up to that standard would represent a fivefold increase on the city's current rate of housing production, according to Sharp's calculations.

Local elected officials are quoted in the article comparing Los Angeles' housing element update to the example of other cities, including neighboring Santa Monica and Pasadena, which have been more resistant to the requirements of the state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment process.

Sharp's coverage of the Plan to House L.A. includes a lot of economic and demographic need for housing in the second most-populous city in the United States. Read more at the link below.

Tuesday, November 30, 2021 in Urbanize Los Angeles

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view of wide street in Cleveland, Ohio with blue 55th Street sign and red brick three-story building visible in right corner.

Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs

The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.

1 hour ago - Signal Cleveland

Aerial view of heavily damaged mobile homes after a hurricane in Florida.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households

Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

2 hours ago - Inside Climate News

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA