Where, Oh Where, Will Our Children Live?

We know we have a huge homeless population and shortage of homes affordable to working people in Los Angeles. It’s not a question of whether we need housing for people from all walks of life, but rather what kind of housing we want to build and where we want to build it.

Most of the cities and counties in Southern California are now updating their plans for meeting the housing needs of their residents. Updates to the Housing Element -- the only part of the General Plan that must be updated on a schedule – are due by the July 2008. Planning commissions, city councils and county boards of supervisors will all be holding public hearings to discuss updating the local Housing Element.

The Housing Element is each city’s and county’s locally crafted plan for meeting their “fair share” of the regional need for homes through 2014. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) gives each city and county it’s fair share target, called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), with the number of units broken down by income level. Click here for each city’s RHNA number.

The City of Los Angeles’ fair share target is 113,000 new homes by 2014. This is a tall order which is going to require dialogue, creativity and some consensus around where we should tell developers to build these new homes. The City is expected to release its draft Housing Element by January 23 and hold hearings in February.

Bringing Fair Share to the Grassroots
One idea that has been used in other cities in planning for future housing is to create “fair share” targets within the city. In Los Angeles that might mean fair share targets for each Community Plan area to ensure affordable housing opportunities exist across the city.

The Planning Department could draw up a draft for each community plan area based on the principles in the General Plan Framework. Then the community would have the opportunity participate in a dialogue around the draft, proposing changes that would ensure that the new development improve the community. Key to the success would be for every community to do its fair share.

Community Plan Areas that meet their Fair Share targets could be rewarded by getting a spot at the front of the line for scarce City infrastructure projects and services, including sidewalk improvements, tree trimming and park upgrades.

 
Planning for Justice Coalition
Housing advocates across the region are calling on cities and counties to do real planning and make their Housing Elements into action plans for tackling the dire housing needs that grip the region and the state. The Planning for Justice is one such coalition now forming in Los Angeles where the City is creating new community land use plans for most of the low-income areas while also updating the citywide housing and transportation plans. These plans will chart the future of development and Planning for Justice wants to make sure they result in a healthy city—one that supports everyone’s physical and social well-being.

For more information on Planning for Justice, contact Jennifer Allen at (213) 622-5980 x 23.