At almost 30 years of age, L.A.'s rent control ordinance is a double-edged sword -- reviled by some and relied upon by others.
"Nearly half of L.A. renters spend more than 40 percent of their income on housing and 29 percent spend more than half. Of the city's 780,000 rental units, the Rent Stabilization Ordinance covers 550,000 that had a certificate of occupancy issued on or before October 1, 1978."
"'These units,' said Malcolm Bennett, president of the Apartment Assn., California Southern Cities, 'are more a pain in the neck than they're worth,' yet '...the original idea of preserving inner-city housing and keeping costs down was admirable.'"
"Aside from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, no other areas in Los Angeles County mandate rent control. There are no rent stabilization ordinances in Orange, San Bernardino or Riverside counties. In Ventura County, the Thousand Oaks ordinance covers a small number of tenants who moved into their apartments in 1987 or before."
"Without rent control, the average market-rate rent for apartment ranges from $1,485 in central Los Angeles, to $2,079 in the West LA area, which includes Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and the Westside."
"But say tenant advocates, 'Los Angeles is a city of renters, and without rent control, the workers who keep the city running couldn't afford to live here. Eventually senior citizens, teachers, social workers, won't have a place to go and Los Angeles will become an elitist city.'"
Thanks to D.A. Varnado, AICP
FULL STORY: Two Sides of A Coin

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie