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.

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.
FULL STORY: Why Underused Hotels, Motels Could Be The Faster Path To Easing L.A’s Affordable Housing Gap

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.

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

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap
A bill that caps rent increases at 7 percent plus inflation is headed to the governor’s desk.

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.

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.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service