Including Affordable Residences In New Development

Over 100 cities and counties in California have crafted local ordinances to help create mixed-income residences that are affordable to working families and low-income people for whom decent housing is too often out of reach. These programs are often called inclusionary housing, inclusionary zoning or set-asides.

Under Inclusionary Housing developers who are building new apartments, condominiums and homes are required to make some of the residences affordable. It is an excellent tool for creating and preserving mixed-income communities because affordable homes and apartments are built at the same time and in the same neighborhoods as market-rate residences.

A number of cities in Southern California have inclusionary programs – Pasadena, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Irvine and San Diego. Because new residential development in Los Angeles is occurring in relatively job-rich areas, Inclusionary Housing could help even the housing-jobs balance by putting affordable housing opportunities near jobs.

Is the City of Los Angeles Considering Inclusionary?
In March 2000, the Los Angeles Housing Crisis Task Force recommended that the City adopt an inclusionary zoning requirement for residential development. In November 2001, the Los Angeles Housing Department contracted with consultant David Rosen to do a study of the feasibility of an inclusionary program for the City and the study was released in March 2003. In April 2004 Los Angeles Council Members Ed Reyes (CD 1) and Eric Garcetti (CD 13) introduced a motion for an inclusionary Housing program that was supported by the L.A. Inclusionary Zoning Coalition.

Since then, the City of Los Angeles has held 17 public hearings on inclusionary: six City Council committee hearings and 11 public hearings in the community by the Affordable Housing Commission and all seven Area Planning Commissions. Former Los Angeles Mayor Hahn opposed inclusionary, and several inclusionary supporters, including Mayor Villaraigosa and County Labor Federation chief Martin Ludlow, have since left the City Council.

In an effort to make more information available to the public on inclusionary, the City's Housing Department has posted a number of informational materials on their website (www.lacity.org/lahd/, see Inclusionary Zoning under "What's New").

Related Links

Reyes/Garcetti Proposal Program Components

Los Angeles Inclusionary Zoning Coalition

Study Finds Voluntary Programs Not Effective

Study Finds Inclusionary Zoning Feasible for Los Angeles