L.A. Mayor Karen Bass signs executive order aimed at affordable housing
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass continued to make the homeless crisis a priority by signing an executive order to lower the cost and accelerate the building of affordable housing in the city.
"The reason why it costs so much is because of the length of time it takes," said Bass. "Well, the key to reducing that length of time is cutting red tape and speeding the construction timeline. That will save precious dollars that can be invested in more housing and more solutions."
The executive directive aims to lift regulations that slow, or sometimes prevent, the construction of permanent and temporary housing. As of Friday, the city must complete the approval process for all affordable housing projects within 60 days. Next, when construction begins, permits and certificates of occupancies must be completed in just five days. For temporary housing, the city will have no more than two days to finish the paperwork.
Bass signed her emergency declaration at Lorena Plaza, a 49-unit affordable housing development for the homeless and veterans. While it is currently under construction, it took workers 16 years to break ground.
"That is the urgency we need at city hall and that is what we are delivering," the mayor said. "How on Earth can we expect to house 40,000 people if we continue business as usual?"
The new construction got mixed relations from nearby East L.A. residents.
"There are unhoused people who have tents around Evergreen Cemetery so it's actually fantastic for them to have a spot to live," said resident Maia Villa. "Rent is so unaffordable in L.A. nowadays."
Resident Stephanie Perez shared the same sentiment but criticized other areas for not following suit.
"Every city there is still space to build affordable housing," said Perez. "But we don't see it in Beverly Hills. We don't see it in Culver City. We don't see it as much as it is here."
Bass echoed Perez's sentiments.
"The neighborhoods where housing is being built are already neighborhoods that are severely overcrowded," she said. "That's why all Angelenos have to have skin in the game."
Nonprofits like PATH, a homeless service provider and housing developer, are excited to see the wide range of possibilities the executive directive unlocks.
"One of the biggest challenges is just access, number of units," said CEO Jennifer Hark Dietz. "We need more of them throughout Los Angeles. We need them to be surrounded by services. We need access to transit, access to clinics, whether its health to mental health."
As her first official action, Bass declared a state of emergency on the homelessness issue. The City Council quickly ratified the declaration.