L.A. Law Exempts Affordable Housing From Time-Consuming Review Process

A new law signed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass last week exempts affordable housing units from Site Plan Review, a protracted process that often delays construction and can drive up project costs. 

According to an article from City News Service in the L.A. Daily News, under the current law, projects with more than 49 units required Site Plan Review, prompting developers to opt for 49-unit buildings when more housing units could be included.

The recently elected mayor has faced criticism for not doing enough to address the city’s historic homelessness crisis. After her election, Bass signed an executive order that streamlined the approvals process. “Within the six months that Bass issued her executive directive (ED), the city approved 22 housing projects — representing approximately 1,600 units of affordable housing, according to the mayor’s office.”

The article quotes Mayor Bass, who said “Today, I will sign an ordinance that takes a major step in codifying ED by exempting affordable housing and qualifying mixed-use, mixed-income projects from the process of Site Plan Review.” Councilman Paul Krekorian, who co-authored the new law, “said the ordinance would encourage mixed-use development by waiving 150,000 square feet of commercial development, so long as at least 50% of the floor area ratio is used for affordable housing.”