How Adaptive Reuse Can Ease the Housing Crisis

An analysis of Los Angeles properties found that the city could make a significant impact on its housing shortage by converting commercial buildings to housing.

2 minute read

April 7, 2022, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Facade of Cecil Hotel, Los Angeles

L.A.'s historic Cecil Hotel reopened in December 2021 as an affordable housing complex. | MSPhotographic / Cecil Hotel, Los Angeles

A new report found that the conversion of commercial buildings to housing could help Los Angeles reduce its critical housing shortage and boost the availability of affordable housing. According to an article by Jessica P. Ogilvie, "Researchers at the RAND Corporation, which published the report, said that such adaptive reuse could provide 9% to 14% of the housing L.A. County needs to build over the next eight years."

Because of their existing infrastructure, "Of the available options, hotels and motels would be the most feasible, said Jason Ward, the study's lead author and an economist at RAND, in a statement. Existing rooms could simply be converted into housing units."

The city experimented with this approach during the pandemic, when Project Roomkey provided emergency temporary housing in hotels and motels that were already experiencing high vacancy rates due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Even prior to the pandemic, L.A. has a successful history with adaptive reuse, which was streamlined by a 1999 city ordinance. "A paper published last year by UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation found that between 2014 to 2019, L.A. created about 28,000 housing units on commercially zoned land — far more than any other large metro area in California," notes Ogilvie.

"The report issued by RAND identified about 2,300 commercial properties that could be appropriate for reuse," which could yield up to 113,000 units of housing.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 in LAist

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

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of Washington state capitol dome in Olympia, Washington at golden hour.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap

A bill that caps rent increases at 7 percent plus inflation is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 29 - Washington State Standard

Low view of Glendale Narrows section of Los Angeles River with concrete bottom and cloudy storm sky over head.

From Planning to Action: How LA County Is Rethinking Climate Resilience

Chief Sustainability Officer Rita Kampalath outlines the County’s shift from planning to implementation in its climate resilience efforts, emphasizing cross-departmental coordination, updated recovery strategies, and the need for flexible funding.

April 29 - The Planning Report

Grandparents sitting on bench with young girl and boy, girl holding ball and boy holding ukelele.

New Mexico Aging Department Commits to Helping Seniors Age ‘In Place’ and ‘Autonomously’ in New Draft Plan

As New Mexico’s population of seniors continues to grow, the state’s aging department is proposing expanded initiatives to help seniors maintain their autonomy while also supporting family caregivers.

April 29 - Source NM