The 3rd draft of the CPU dropped last month and it would appear we were heard. All the yellow in the map below is a full reversal of the single-family upzoning we fought so hard to prevent, but the pinks and the oranges and the blues and the maroons are still a problem (hint – the dark pinks are the worst). Navigate the interactive map here to find the color explanations).
As we’re learning, however, the CPU is just one piece of the density puzzle. While it appears (and the CPU is a very long way from being approved) that we dodged a major density zoning bullet, the Housing Element is yet another huge but less obvious danger to our low density goals.
The Housing Element is where the builder incentives are parked, specifically the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (“CHIP”). Read more about the Housing Element here.
Does This CPU Plan Provide Affordable Housing?
A lot of people accept the “we need density” narrative because they are told that is how we get affordable housing.
The narrative is, sadly, only partially true. The only mechanism the city currently uses to incentivize affordable units is to provide extras to market rate developers to build a couple of token affordable units.
In fact, I was in meetings with the planners last summer where they admitted we need gross densification to meet LA’s affordable housing targets.
Did you take that in? We’re supposed to absorb thousands of ugly boxes we don’t need to get a few affordable units. Does that make any sense? Is that a good use of our resources?
How about the city ponies up to subsidize developers to build more affordable units instead of giving away our low density communities for random acts of blighted densification?? Subsidies in conjunction with other AHIP incentives could go a long way to bringing the kind of housing we need and voters will support without the ugly market rate boxes.
Side note, I have not studied AHIP in depth, but it is a program with 100% affordable units, so the concept is better than the rest of the tripe the city is pushing. And what a breath of fresh air it would be if we could all talk about just one program instead to the city hitting us with an avalanche of crap to the point we don’t even know what we’re getting hit with.
Are You Mad Yet?
What do you think about the maps and the plan? Not mad yet? Read this.
Mad enough to sign our petition? Find it here.
Mad enough to hit the streets with us? Find out how you can help here.
Concerned For Westchester Playa 