Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

April 28, 2004

Re: Proposed Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance

On April 6, 2004, Councilmembers Reyes, Garcetti, Villaraigosa, Padilla, and Miscikowski introduced a motion in the City Council calling for the development of an inclusionary housing policy for the City of Los Angeles. At a joint session of the Council's Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) and Housing Community and Economic Development (HCED) Committees on April 14, 2004, there was an initial hearing on the proposal. As a result, the committees requested that Neighborhood Councils, CACs, and PACs be informed of the proposal, and invited to participate in the upcoming deliberations.

The committees asked the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to send this information to you.

As you are aware, the cost of housing in Los Angeles has escalated out of reach for the majority of low and moderate-income households. Just a week ago, the average home price in Los Angeles County was reported at an all time high of $375,000. At the City Council's direction, the City's Affordable Housing Commission recently traveled around the city and conducted a series of community briefings and hearings regarding the housing affordability crisis. Inclusionary Housing was one of many policy remedies discussed during these hearings as one way to begin to address our housing crisis.

Inclusionary Housing policies, commonly referred to as and used interchangeably with the term "Inclusionary Zoning," vary somewhat from city to city. In California alone, over 107 jurisdictions have Inclusionary Housing policies. Generally, these policies provide that developers building new housing to be sold or rented at market prices must also build some number of housing units to be sold or rented to people of low- and moderate-income. In an attempt to address the cost to developers of providing these additional affordable units, and to encourage more housing development generally, Inclusionary Housing policies often include regulatory reforms on land use and/or entitlement processing.

Councilmembers Reyes, Garcetti, Villaraigosa, Padilla and Miscikowski have introduced a Inclusionary Housing Policy proposal that addresses all of these issues. The committees would like you to study the proposal that may be found online at http://www.lacity.org/lahd. After you have had the chance to review the proposal, the committees invite you to express your views.

The City Council has scheduled the following hearings in order to receive public comment:

HCED Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 at 4:00 p.m.
Los Angeles City Hall, Council Chamber, 3rd Floor

PLUM Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Los Angeles City Hall, Council Chamber

Joint PLUM/HCED Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 26, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
Los Angeles City Hall, Council Chamber

You also may send comments and questions in writing to Barbara Greaves in the Office of the City Clerk.

Please include one original and one copy, and include a reference to Council File # 04- 0637 at:

Office of the City Clerk
C/O Barbara Greaves
200 N. Spring Street, Room 395
Los Angeles, CA 90012

or Fax: 213-978-1040

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Greg Nelson

866 / LA HELPS
213 / 485-1360
213 / 485-4608 fax
done@mailbox.lacity.org email
www.lacityneighborhoods.com website