Compared to last year, the city has approved 5.3 percent fewer residential units.
A new report from Hilgard Analytics by Shoshana Baum highlights residential permitting trends in Los Angeles through the third quarter of 2023, showing how development has changed in the city since 2022.
According to the report, development permits vary widely by city council district. Due in part to high interest rates, a cooling job market, and labor disputes, L.A. development has waned in most areas, with the notable exceptions of council districts 1, 8, 10, and 13. These districts have approved more residential permits than in the same period last year.
The report notes that, although interest rates will likely remain high, “the other factors that have been contributing to this decline in permitting are likely to go away or be mitigated, likely leading to a resurgence in the residential permitting numbers.” However, “the shortage of deed-restricted affordable housing, redlining, and other racist and exclusionary policies will keep LA’s housing and homelessness challenges acute even if the overall permitting of housing drastically accelerates.”
The details: 11,437 residential units were permitted in the first three quarters of 2023, down 5.3 percent or 641 units from last year.
See the full report, linked below, for details on each council district.
FULL STORY: Residential Permitting Trends in LA
San Francisco Required to Change Restrictive Housing Approval Policies
State agencies want the city to speed up its alarmingly slow permitting process.
LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals
Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.
LA Officials Struggle to Enforce Short-Term Rental Rules
Hundreds of rent-controlled units are being illegally rented out as short-term rentals, pushing out long-term renters and exacerbating the city’s housing crisis.
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response
Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.
The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way
One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.
Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk
High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont