Can L.A. Protect its Vulnerable Populations from Transit-Induced Development?

As we've seen recently, Los Angeles is not alone in acknowledging the threats to affordable housing located in close proximity to transit, as developers across the country increasingly recognize the market advantages of redevelopment oriented around transit. A new report, titled "Preservation in Transit-Oriented Districts: A Study on the Need, Priorities, and Tools in Protecting Assisted and Unassisted Housing in the City of Los Angeles," issued last month by Reconnecting America and the Los Angeles Housing Department, seeks to tackle the problem by identifying "four transit-oriented districts for housing preservation activities," which will serve as "pilot locations for strategies that could be introduced elsewhere in future years."

In addition to identifying the areas most ripe for focusing preservation activities, the report explores, "several possible next steps to address preservation in these four areas, including but not limited to:

• Coordinating existing tools to move proactively and aggressively in preserving buildings
• Anticipating property owner behavior, and focus outreach to owners and tenants
• Conduct pilot assessments for development and deployment of new tools"

According to the report, "A next step for preservation stakeholders is to define the specific types of tools that need to be coordinated within each area, and to identify gaps that new tools or policies could address."