a sign of support
Rent-controlled apartments are being demolished to build "affordable" housing. But rent-controlled apartments ARE affordable housing. See below for more details.
Rent-controlled apartments are being demolished to build "affordable" housing. But rent-controlled apartments ARE affordable housing. See below for more details.
✘
Sign the petition if you don't want neighbors to lose
their affordable, rent-stabilized apartments
for unaffordable housing
their affordable, rent-stabilized apartments
for unaffordable housing
☟
Read more comments on the PETITION page
the gist
Published July 10, 2024
December of 2022, Mayor Karen Bass passed a temporary rule, Executive Directive 1 (ED1), fast-tracking “100% affordable” housing to “aid in swiftly sheltering people who are unhoused.” (EDI pdf)
But ED1 units are for "low or moderate income" people who make up to $77,000 - $116,000 per year. Unhoused people don’t make that. ED1 puts them in a competition pool with higher middle-income folks. (LAHD)
ED1 doesn’t require landlords to take vouchers. (HACLA)
Plus, twelve of the fifteen LA Council Districts have average incomes less than $70,000. (LA Census 2020) Only 3 Council Districts have median household incomes that are not considered low income. But for rent to be considered affordable, federally, it has to be less than 30% of income. Because ED1 units are priced for people who make $77,000 - $116,000 per year, ED1 housing will be too expensive for the majority of LA to live in:
Council District 15 $49,571
Council District 14 $40,300
Council District 13 $36,342
Council District 12 $81,750
Council District 11 $85,022
Council District 10 $36,506
Council District 09 $29,561
Council District 08 $32,283
Council District 07 $58,066
Council District 06 $46,767
Council District 05 $80,723
Council District 04 $69,364
Council District 03 $67,639
Council District 02 $50,070
Council District 01 $32,375
Want to find your council district? Click here
The mayor was able to make an executive directive because she first declared a state of emergency about the unhoused crisis. The emergency states that there should be a "decrease in the number of persons being evicted from existing housing units," (Mayor.lacity.gov) yet ED1 is being used to evict residents from rent-controlled homes, at a faster pace. (KCRW) "Eviction rates are up 38%. Locally, eviction filings in L.A. County were higher in 2023 than in any other year since 2016." (LAist.com, July 1, 2024)
The new housing can remove us from our homes and make it harder for us to afford to stay in the area we live.
But ED1 units are for "low or moderate income" people who make up to $77,000 - $116,000 per year. Unhoused people don’t make that. ED1 puts them in a competition pool with higher middle-income folks. (LAHD)
ED1 doesn’t require landlords to take vouchers. (HACLA)
Plus, twelve of the fifteen LA Council Districts have average incomes less than $70,000. (LA Census 2020) Only 3 Council Districts have median household incomes that are not considered low income. But for rent to be considered affordable, federally, it has to be less than 30% of income. Because ED1 units are priced for people who make $77,000 - $116,000 per year, ED1 housing will be too expensive for the majority of LA to live in:
Council District 15 $49,571
Council District 14 $40,300
Council District 13 $36,342
Council District 12 $81,750
Council District 11 $85,022
Council District 10 $36,506
Council District 09 $29,561
Council District 08 $32,283
Council District 07 $58,066
Council District 06 $46,767
Council District 05 $80,723
Council District 04 $69,364
Council District 03 $67,639
Council District 02 $50,070
Council District 01 $32,375
Want to find your council district? Click here
The mayor was able to make an executive directive because she first declared a state of emergency about the unhoused crisis. The emergency states that there should be a "decrease in the number of persons being evicted from existing housing units," (Mayor.lacity.gov) yet ED1 is being used to evict residents from rent-controlled homes, at a faster pace. (KCRW) "Eviction rates are up 38%. Locally, eviction filings in L.A. County were higher in 2023 than in any other year since 2016." (LAist.com, July 1, 2024)
The new housing can remove us from our homes and make it harder for us to afford to stay in the area we live.
ED1 units already have much higher prices than rent-controlled units, but ED1 units can be less than half the size of normal units, doubling rent per square foot and removing long-term rentals for couples and families. (KCRW)
ED1 studios can be 167 square feet (sq ft), the size of a parking spot. They’re roughly $1800 per month, with some studio units priced as high as $2,647 per month. (LAHD)
One-bedrooms can be 350 square feet, the size of the inside of a school bus. They’re roughly $1,900 per month, with some one-bedrooms priced as high as $2,837. (LAHD)
Two-bedrooms can be 525 sq ft. They’re roughly $2,200 per month, with some 2-bedrooms priced as high as $3,400.
For context, Non-ED1 studios are 400-600 sq ft. (Bungalow.com)
ED1 units also cut space outside of the unit, like storage, parking, trees and green space.
Removing the latter hurts tenants and their surrounding neighbors by contributing to rising heat, lessening ground area that absorbs water for the aquifer, and decreasing public health. (No Environmental Review)
Scientists find that in LA more trees could cut heat-related ER visits by 2/3 and avoid one in four deaths during heat waves. In the US, “Annually, extreme heat causes more deaths than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes and lightning combined.”⁹ (International Journal of Biometeorology)
ED1 studios can be 167 square feet (sq ft), the size of a parking spot. They’re roughly $1800 per month, with some studio units priced as high as $2,647 per month. (LAHD)
One-bedrooms can be 350 square feet, the size of the inside of a school bus. They’re roughly $1,900 per month, with some one-bedrooms priced as high as $2,837. (LAHD)
Two-bedrooms can be 525 sq ft. They’re roughly $2,200 per month, with some 2-bedrooms priced as high as $3,400.
For context, Non-ED1 studios are 400-600 sq ft. (Bungalow.com)
ED1 units also cut space outside of the unit, like storage, parking, trees and green space.
Removing the latter hurts tenants and their surrounding neighbors by contributing to rising heat, lessening ground area that absorbs water for the aquifer, and decreasing public health. (No Environmental Review)
Scientists find that in LA more trees could cut heat-related ER visits by 2/3 and avoid one in four deaths during heat waves. In the US, “Annually, extreme heat causes more deaths than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes and lightning combined.”⁹ (International Journal of Biometeorology)
There’s no requirement to have parking underneath ED1 buildings that are .5 miles from major transit. ED1 buildings have on average over 74 units and are five stories high. (ATC Research)
Concessions are being given so front, back, and side yards can be cut in half. ED1 removed prevailing wages for construction workers, competitive bidding (Fix the City), and there’s no environmental review or public comment window. (EDI pdf)
ED1 gives developers incentives and waivers to break local zoning laws. For the first year and a half of its existence, even historic homes could be demolished for ED1. (LA Conservancy)
The state of emergency that started all of this gives the mayor the power to break laws, but it is allegedly not legal itself. A state of emergency can only be made about natural disasters, not chronic city problems, because it gives the mayor executive power that is meant to be used acutely. It's also only legal if city council renews it every 2 months, to protect us from autocratic leadership. It should have been renewed 8 times by now, but has only been renewed once. (Fix the City)
While the legality of ED1 is being challenged in the courts (LA Times), rent-Stabilized, affordable homes are being demolished to make way for ED1 housing. We are losing our homes in ways that can't be replaced. (Read Is ED1 Legal?)
Concessions are being given so front, back, and side yards can be cut in half. ED1 removed prevailing wages for construction workers, competitive bidding (Fix the City), and there’s no environmental review or public comment window. (EDI pdf)
ED1 gives developers incentives and waivers to break local zoning laws. For the first year and a half of its existence, even historic homes could be demolished for ED1. (LA Conservancy)
The state of emergency that started all of this gives the mayor the power to break laws, but it is allegedly not legal itself. A state of emergency can only be made about natural disasters, not chronic city problems, because it gives the mayor executive power that is meant to be used acutely. It's also only legal if city council renews it every 2 months, to protect us from autocratic leadership. It should have been renewed 8 times by now, but has only been renewed once. (Fix the City)
While the legality of ED1 is being challenged in the courts (LA Times), rent-Stabilized, affordable homes are being demolished to make way for ED1 housing. We are losing our homes in ways that can't be replaced. (Read Is ED1 Legal?)
Six months after writing ED1, Mayor Bass edited it to stop single-family houses from being demolished for ED1 buildings. (LAist.com)
On July 1st, 2024, a year and a half after writing ED1, Mayor Bass protected rent-controlled buildings with 12 units or more from being demolished by amending ED1. The new protections are not retroactive, so the rent-controlled units that were approved to be demolished during the year and a half are still set to be demolished. (KCRW)
Mayor Bass' amendment leaves the majority of rent-stabilized (RSO) units unprotected. Over 300,000 RSO units in LA can still be demolished. (LAHD RSO Report Dashboard)
Rent-controlled buildings were deemed truly affordable by a judge in 2023. (The ruling)
ED1 allows more than half of the affordable (RSO) housing in the city to be destroyed to build housing that won't help the people who need it.
Don’t destroy the affordable homes we currently have to build micro-units that are unaffordable for many LA constituents, both housed and unhoused. Sign the petition.
On July 1st, 2024, a year and a half after writing ED1, Mayor Bass protected rent-controlled buildings with 12 units or more from being demolished by amending ED1. The new protections are not retroactive, so the rent-controlled units that were approved to be demolished during the year and a half are still set to be demolished. (KCRW)
Mayor Bass' amendment leaves the majority of rent-stabilized (RSO) units unprotected. Over 300,000 RSO units in LA can still be demolished. (LAHD RSO Report Dashboard)
Rent-controlled buildings were deemed truly affordable by a judge in 2023. (The ruling)
ED1 allows more than half of the affordable (RSO) housing in the city to be destroyed to build housing that won't help the people who need it.
Don’t destroy the affordable homes we currently have to build micro-units that are unaffordable for many LA constituents, both housed and unhoused. Sign the petition.
For more details, read below.
To sign the petition, click here.
To contact your reps directly, click here.
Please tell everyone the "affordable" housing isn't guaranteed to help unhoused folks and we need the mayor to protect all rent-controlled, truly affordable homes.
Updated 8/9/24 to correct the number of Council Districts whose average income is less than $70,000 from 8 to 12.
Updated 9/12/24 to correct the annual maximum income for a single person in ED1 projects to $105,000.
Updated 9/16/24 with new 2024 Low and Moderate Income Maximums
To sign the petition, click here.
To contact your reps directly, click here.
Please tell everyone the "affordable" housing isn't guaranteed to help unhoused folks and we need the mayor to protect all rent-controlled, truly affordable homes.
Updated 8/9/24 to correct the number of Council Districts whose average income is less than $70,000 from 8 to 12.
Updated 9/12/24 to correct the annual maximum income for a single person in ED1 projects to $105,000.
Updated 9/16/24 with new 2024 Low and Moderate Income Maximums
TAKE A LOOK
Images below are from The Housing Element 2021-2029,
made by the LA City Planning Department & LA Housing + Community Investment Department
made by the LA City Planning Department & LA Housing + Community Investment Department
"LA EARNS LIKE CLEVELAND, PAYS THE RENT LIKE NYC"
|
"The number of people experiencing homelessness in the city of L.A. increased 10% last year [2023] to 46,260" -LAist.com
|
'ALMOST 6 IN 10 RENTERS IN LA STRUGGLE TO AFFORD THE RENT"
|
"LA HAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF COST BURDENED HOUSEHOLDS THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR CITY IN AMERICA"
|
HOW ARE RENT-STABILIZED
UNITS DIFFERENT?
WHAT ARE RENT-STABILIZED ORDINANCE APARTMENTS?
- Rent-stabilized Ordinance (RSO) means units built before 1978 can only have yearly rent increases between 3-8% depending on inflation. (LA Housing Dept) In Los Angeles, there is no "rent control" (where the rent price never changes), instead we have rent stabilization (where it can only increase a limited amount each year). When people use the term "rent-control" to describe LA apartments, it's referring to rent-stabilized units. Some people use the terms interchangeably.
- "Market-rate" means units that are full price. Right now, the market rate for a one-bedroom in LA is around $2700 (Rent.com), with no limit in the amount rent can be increased at any time, whereas RSO units can cost much less and have rent-increase limits.
- If RSO units are demolished, their rent-stabilization is usually demolished along with the unit. When tenants have to go to newer housing without RSO, landlords can raise their rent any amount each year, making it much harder for them to plan financially and have stability.
- The mayor's Declaration of Local Housing and Homeless Emergency states that it will be regularly evaluated by indicators of progress addressing the emergency including "A decrease in the number of persons being evicted from existing housing units." (Mayor.lacity.gov) This would mean protecting tenants from no-fault evictions in Rent-Stabilized Units under Executive Directive 1, yet tenants are receiving no-fault evictions in RSO units that are being replaced by ED1 projects.
Published June 22, 2024
RENT-STABILIZED IS LEGALLY AFFORDABLE?
- Rent-stabilized (RSO) housing was deemed truly "affordable" by a California State Court of Appeals in 2023: "Because the RSO prohibits landlords from raising rents to reflect 'normal market value' under certain circumstances, RSO housing units are affordable housing within the ordinary meaning of the phrase." (The ruling)
- Rent-Stabilized (RSO), affordable homes are quickly being demolished to make way for ED1 housing.
- Destroying real affordable housing for housing that isn't legally requiring anyone to take in a homeless person, will create more homeless people.
- Don't demolish affordable housing. It works against the goal.
Published June 22, 2024
A RIGHT TO RETURN?
- We are losing our homes in ways that can't be replaced, making the community displaced.
- Sending renters with affordable rent into the expensive Market-Rate rent pool usually means they have to move out of town or become homeless.
- We have a "Right to Return" to the new units that are proposed to be built, but need to pay Market-Rate for years during construction. Landlords aren't required to pay for interim housing for their tenants.
- We have a "Right to Return" to an equal "bedroom type" but not equal size. Because the new apartments are often half the size (or less) than what many residents currently have, even if our rent "stays the same," we're paying twice as much (or much more) for what we're receiving.
- *We can't keep our Rent-Stabilization rights and can't return at our current rent rate. We return to whatever the city deems "affordable" the year we move back. (Right to Return Breakdown) The current "affordable" rate for 80% of the Moderate Income one-bedrooms in ED1 buildings is $2,837. (Read ED1 Prices) The current "affordable" rate for 80% of the Low Income one-bedrooms in ED1 buildings is $1,892. (Read ED1 Prices)
- *Update: July 1st, 2024, Mayor Bass amended ED1 so that RSO tenants do get to return at "the most recent lawful rent for their prior unit" and RSO tenants do get to keep their RSO rights: "Rent increases shall not exceed allowable rent increase for rent stabilized units under LAMC Chapter XV [RSO]." But we can only keep our RSO rights if we're low-income. Before, RSO didn't have to do with income, allowing people to build wealth. The mayor allowing RSO buildings to still be torn down for 100% affordable housing means RSO rights that used to be a protection for all residents in buildings built before 1978 may become only available to low-income residents. This would change the affordability landscape of LA.
RETURNING TO HIGHER PRICES
- These prices can be for one-bedrooms that are 350 square feet, the size of a school bus. (No Space)
- Couples in a 750 square foot one-bedroom may return to a one-bedroom that is around 350 square feet. Most can't live there long-term. (No Space)
- Plus, when our square feet are cut in half, even if we paid the same amount of rent as we do now, our rent doubles per square foot.
"LA HAS LOW EARNINGS BUT HIGH RENTS" (LA City Planning)
- For rent to be affordable by federal government standards, it can't be more than one-third of income. (LAist)
- For a Moderate Income 350 square foot bedroom at $2,837 to be legally affordable, household income would need to be $8,511 per month or $102,132 per year.
- For a Low Income 350 square foot one-bedroom at $1,892 to be legally affordable, household income would need to be $5,676 per month or $68,112 per year.
- The average income for Council District 13 is $36,000 and 12 of the 15 council districts in the city of LA have median incomes less than $70,000. (LA Census 2020) Roughly two-thirds of Los Angeles is made up of renters and "almost 6 in 10 renters struggle to pay the rent... Housing costs have far outpaced wages." (LA City Planning Breakdown) Help us keep what we have.
Published June 22, 2024, Updated July 22, 2024 to reflect the Mayor's July 1st changes to ED1.
how is "100% affordable"
housing unaffordable?
"low" income
- For housing to be an 100% affordable ED1 building, it is only required to include units for Moderate and Low Income households. (Read ED1 Prices)
- Moderate Income ED1 units are for people who make up to $80,500 per year. (Read ED1 Prices)
- Low Income ED1 units are for people who make up to $70,650 a year. (Read ED1 Prices)
- ED1 does not require any units for Very Low or Extremely Low Income. (Read ED1 Prices)
- Most unhoused people don't make $70,000 a year. (Read AP News Breakdown)
- Many housed Los Angeles constituents also don't make $70,000 a year. According to the 2020 LA Census, of the 15 council districts in LA, only 3 have median household incomes greater than $70,000. (Read Breakdown)
- The average yearly income for people in Council District 13 is $36,000.¹ (LA Census 2020, Read Breakdown)
UNHOUSED & MIDDLE INCOME IN SAME COMPETITIVE POOL
- ED1 puts unhoused residents, low-income residents and middle-income residents in the same competitive pool for housing, but refers to them all with the same label: Low Income.
- If a landlord has a choice of signing a lease with someone who makes $70,000 or someone who makes less, it seems like they will take the person who makes more, pushing out actual low-income and unhoused people from the neighborhood.
- Real 100% affordable housing wouldn't depend on what things "seem" like. It would be clear. ED1 is not written in a way that clearly protects the unhoused.
- Instead of relying on law, ED1 relies on the goodness of a developer's heart to help the unhoused.
- Many LA landlords only take rental applications from people who make three times the rent or have high credit scores. (Read LAist Breakdown)
- Most unhoused people don't make three times the rent and don't have high credit scores, so ED1 landlords won't have to consider them.
- In response to all of this, one might say, "Won't the unhoused just use vouchers?" But vouchers don't work the way many of us assume. Read on...
Published June 22, 2024
VOLUNTARY VOUCHERS
- There are a few ways the government funds housing: one is public housing. (LA City Planning)
- "The Housing Services Department administers the Public Housing Program and oversees the management of thirteen (13) large HACLA owned public housing developments consisting of over 6,300 units located throughout the city of Los Angeles..." (HACLA.org)
- But ED1 units aren't subsidized public housing. ED1 buildings are privately owned. (Read Breakdown)
- Another way the government funds housing is with Section 8 vouchers, which are free funds given to California from the Federal government for qualifying participants to use toward paying rent in privately-owned buildings. (HACLA.org)
VOUCHER LOTTERY
- ED1 buildings can accept Section 8 Vouchers, but not every homeless person has a voucher: An unhoused person has to win a lottery to get on a voucher waitlist; then they can stay on the waitlist for years.
- ABC News 7 Reporter, Rob Hayes said in 2023, “Section 8 can be more of a Catch 22. To get a Section 8 voucher, you literally have to win a lottery just to move forward in the program. The last time the city opened up a Section 8 voucher list, more than 200,000 people applied. Now, if you’re one of the lucky thirty-or-so-thousand (30,000) picked, you get moved to a waiting list. And after potentially years of waiting, you can end up with a section 8 voucher to finally get you into a home. But, here in Los Angeles, a study found that less than half of those who got vouchers were able to find a lease before the vouchers expired.” (Read Lottery Breakdown)
LANDLORDS AREN'T REQUIRED TO ACCEPT VOUCHERS
- Vouchers have an expiration date. So if someone receives a voucher, they have to find a landlord that will take it before the voucher expires.
- But the program is voluntary for landlords to participate in. The director of Section 8 at HACLA confirmed, "The landlord is not required to accept a Section 8 voucher holder." (Read Voucher Breakdown)
- Landlords legally can’t turn someone away because of a voucher, but they often say it’s for other reasons. (Read Voucher Breakdown)
- Many landlords won't take vouchers: "We have a couple of thousand vouchers that people could use, but we need landlords to be willing to take those vouchers." (Mayor Karen Bass, ABC News 7 Report, 2023)
- “And it’s not just a couple thousand. According to the latest federal data, Los Angeles had roughly 9,000 Section 8 vouchers that went unused last year.” (Rob Hayes, ABC News 7 reporter, 2023) (Read Voucher Breakdown)
- As of June 26, 2024, of the 3,285 Emergency Housing Vouchers received by the City of Los Angeles (additional vouchers in excess of the regular Housing Choice Vouchers), only 164 are being used. (Read Emergency Voucher Breakdown)
MORE UNITS, SAME SMALL AMOUNT OF VOUCHERS = LESS AFFORDABILITY
- Since ED1 doesn't legally require landlords to take vouchers, no change has been made that will prompt landlords to accept them more often. It's likely the same amount of vouchers will continue to be accepted.
- Luxury housing often had a maximum of ten units in a building with one or two affordable units. But ED1 "affordable" units average 74 units in a building. (Read ATC Research) If only a few people are still able to use vouchers in those buildings, the percentage of affordable units would actually be going down.
- And under ED1, buildings are not required to have any units for Very Low ($48,000) or Extremely Low Income ($29,000). (ED1 site)
- They're only required to have all the units be for Low Income ($70,650) or 80% of the units at Low Income ($70,650) and 20% at Moderate Income ($82,500). (ED1 site)
NOT HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FOLKS
- The policy director of the Inner City Law Center, an "organization that principally advocates for unhoused Angelenos," said he supports ED1, even though the units are “not housing for homeless folks.” According to Calmatters.org, he said that "allowing private developers to serve lower- to middle-income renters frees up scant financial subsidies and rental vouchers for people who most desperately need the help." (Calmatters.org) But the problem is that the vouchers that are already "freed up" aren't being taken by landlords. And the housing being built hasn't been affordable. Building more expensive housing where vouchers aren't mandatory continues the problem. All of these realities make ED1 housing unaffordable to the very people ED1 claims to help.
- Plus the size of the units is rarely being mentioned and the size makes them much less affordable. Read on...
Published June 22, 2024
STUDIOS THE SIZE OF A PARKING SPOT
- Average non-ED1 studios are between 400-600 square feet. (Bungalow.com)
- ED1 studios can be 167 square feet, the size of a parking space. (Read No Space)
- The Low Income price for 80% of these ED1 studios is $1766 per month. (Read ED1 Prices)
- For rental applicants to be considered by many landlords in LA, a person needs to make three times the rent. (Read LAist Breakdown)
- Three times $1766 is $5,298. A person would potentially need to make $5,298 per month to rent a 167 square foot studio.
- Most unhoused people don't make $5,298 per month. (Read AP News Breakdown)
- Many current Council District 13 residents also don't make $5298 per month. (LA Census 2020, Read Breakdown)
- ED1 units are labeled "100% affordable." Not only are they unaffordable to many unhoused and current residents (gentrification), they actually cost more rent per square foot than larger units. Read on...
Published June 22, 2024
MUCH MORE RENT PER SQUARE FOOT
- The average studio is usually 400-600 square feet. (Bungalow.com)
- ED1 two-bedrooms can be 525 square feet, the size of two cars next to each other with doors open. (Read No Space)
- ED1 one-bedrooms can be 350 square feet, about the size of a school bus. (Read No Space)
- Studios can be 167 square feet, the size of a parking space. (Read No Space)
- Some people say this is similar to New York apartments, but ED1 units are much smaller than the average apartments in NYC. (Read No Space)
- Units are less than half the size of normal units, removing stability & long-term rentals for couples and multi-generational families with children and grandparents.
- It is sometimes said that there will be two-bedrooms for families in ED1 buildings.
- But only 6.6% of ED1 units are 2-bedrooms. 1.6% of units are 3-bedrooms. (Read ATC Research)
IN HIGH END MARKETS, MICRO-UNITS ARE 300% MORE EXPENSIVE
- Plus, we haven't seen anyone mention the square feet.
- Labeling a space as a one-bedroom, even though it is smaller than the average studio, is misleading.
- Labeling a space as a two-bedroom, even though it is smaller than the average studio, is also misleading.
- If someone is buying a house and the seller were to say, "It's the same price as your current house." But the potential buyer finds out the house is half the size, they would know they are paying double for the space.
- With micro-units, rent is 92% - 300% more per square foot than larger units:
- "Analyzing a database of 7.5 million apartment units nationwide, consulting firm RCLCO found that units under 350 square feet secured average per-square-foot (psf) rents 92% higher than larger units... In high-end markets like San Francisco and Washington, DC, rent premiums reached up to 300% for smaller units." (CCA White Paper, 2018)
- One might think in response to this, "Wouldn't these buildings still somehow benefit the community?" Read on...
Published June 22, 2024
73% OF UNITS HAVE NO PARKING
- One of the goals of Executive Directive 1 (ED1) is to build housing quickly. ED1 makes things faster by not having to follow certain laws. Concessions are given so there is no environmental reviews, no public comment window, no competitive bidding, developers are allowed to pay construction workers less than normal public infrastructure projects and developers are given incentives and waivers to break local zoning code. The laws being bypassed were there to protect us.
- Developers have said that if it weren't for the concessions given by ED1, they wouldn't be building these units. This can be interpreted to mean the concessions aren't there to fast track housing for the unhoused, but instead exist as financial gain for the developers. (Read For Developers Breakdown)
CONCESSIONS
- Concessions are being given so front, back, and side yards can be cut in half.
- Many more units are packed into a project. ED1 units on average are 5 stories high and have 74 units. (Read ATC Research)
- There’s no requirement to have parking underneath most ED1 buildings so 73% of projects have zero parking spaces. (Read ATC Research) The average amount of parking spaces per unit is 0.16 according to ATC Research on June 18, 2024. (No Parking)
- ED1 developers don't have to pay construction workers "prevailing wages" that are "roughly equal to what unionized construction workers earn on public infrastructure projects."² (Calmatters.org Breakdown)
- No environmental reviews are required for ED1 projects. (Calmatters.org Breakdown)
- No public comment period is required.
PUBLIC HEALTH
- “Extreme heat in cities is already the leading weather-related killer in many countries, including the USA. Annually, extreme heat causes more deaths than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes and lightning combined.”⁹ (International Journal of Biometeorology)
- Trees reflect heat, pavement absorbs it, making cities hotter.
- "More trees could cut heat-related ER visits in LA by up to two-thirds... Scientists find that one in four lives lost during heat waves could be avoided... While it’s generally a feel-good kind of investment for cities, we need to tie those investments to public health outcomes..."¹¹ (Read No Environmental Review)
- ED1 housing is unaffordable monetarily to many constituents, less livable long-term and, with these concessions, less safe.
IT'S UNSAFE TO REMOVE OUR RIGHT TO SPEAK
- Without a public comment window, neighborhoods don't have to be told ahead of time when developments are being proposed. Only after approvals are granted do they receive a letter. It ends saying the approvals are final and can't be appealed. Without transparency, no neighborhood council meetings or public discussion about the project can happen.
- A lawsuit claims this denies us of due process, which the lawsuit claims is illegal. (Read No Public Comment) The lawsuit also claims removing environmental reviews breaks state law. Read on...
Published June 22, 2024
POTENTIALLY ILLEGAL
- The legality of ED1 is being challenged in the courts. (Is ED1 Legal?)
- The mayor made a local state of emergency about the unhoused, but according to a lawsuit, city and state laws say local emergencies can only be for one-time unexpected occurrences that are natural disasters, not chronic city problems. (Is ED1 Legal?)
- The lawsuit alleges these laws are written this way because during local emergencies, the mayor is granted extra power and it can only be used short-term for the crisis. State law says a local emergency can only last 7 days and if it lasts longer, city council has to ratify the emergency within 7 days and it has to be renewed every 60 days. This seems to be so one person doesn't have executive power for too long.
- Even though the emergency started December 2022, as of June 2024, it was only renewed once, seven months after it began.
- One of the executive powers granted by the emergency is to take away our public comment window when developments are being proposed, denying us of due process, which the lawsuit claims is also illegal. (No Public Comment)
- Executive Directive 1 also removed environmental reviews which the lawsuit says breaks state law.
- Competitive bidding has been removed. "The public works competitive bidding laws are intended to eliminate favoritism, fraud and corruption in the awarding of public contracts. Work that is exempt from competitive bidding includes emergency work..." (Last, Faoro & Whitehorn Law)
- The permit approval process is sped up making it harder for neighbors to protect themselves. (Is ED1 Legal?)
- With less time and the public support of "affordable housing," we need your help to stop our rent-stabilized homes from being demolished. Please sign the petition and spread the word that so much of the community is not being helped by ED1 housing:
Published June 22, 2024, Updated July 19th with correct emergency start and renewal date
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT DO WE DO?
Published June 22, 2024
The mayor, alone, amended ED1 to stop ED1 buildings from being built in single-family housing areas. The mayor can do the same thing with Rent-Stabilized housing: amend Executive Directive 1 to stop Rent-Stabilized housing with 2 or more units from being demolished for Executive Directive 1 buildings, making it retroactive. The mayor knows how to make the amendment, but hasn't. The city council also knows about these issues but the changes we need haven't been made.
We're asking the mayor, our city council person, and the whole city council to help. It's not a petition that will go on a ballot, it's similar to a Change.org petition, to let the people who represent us how we feel and what we need.
Also, one of the most valuable things we can do is tell other people about what is happening with ED1.
Update: On July 1st, 2024, Mayor Bass amended ED1, protecting historic homes and stopping RSO buildings with 12 units or more from being demolished. In Council District 13, that means ~40,000 rent-stabilized units are protected, but ~37,000 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. In the city of LA, it means 291,565 units are protected, but 359,267 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. (LAHD)
With the mayors amendments, single-family housing and historic homes are protected, but half of rent-stabilized units can still be demolished under ED1. The amendment is not retroactive so ED1 proposals to demolish rent-stabilized units that already received approvals plan to move forward. We are asking Mayor Bass and city council to protect the unprotected 359,267 units and make the law retroactive.
The mayor, alone, amended ED1 to stop ED1 buildings from being built in single-family housing areas. The mayor can do the same thing with Rent-Stabilized housing: amend Executive Directive 1 to stop Rent-Stabilized housing with 2 or more units from being demolished for Executive Directive 1 buildings, making it retroactive. The mayor knows how to make the amendment, but hasn't. The city council also knows about these issues but the changes we need haven't been made.
We're asking the mayor, our city council person, and the whole city council to help. It's not a petition that will go on a ballot, it's similar to a Change.org petition, to let the people who represent us how we feel and what we need.
Also, one of the most valuable things we can do is tell other people about what is happening with ED1.
- Sign the petition. Reach out to city council and the mayor here. Follow up to see that the mayor and city council follow through.
- Share the petition with friends, family, co-workers. Please share these slides on socials. #saveourhomes
Petition link: www.Save-Our-Homes.com - Talk, talk, talk about this info with people, in-person if possible.
Update: On July 1st, 2024, Mayor Bass amended ED1, protecting historic homes and stopping RSO buildings with 12 units or more from being demolished. In Council District 13, that means ~40,000 rent-stabilized units are protected, but ~37,000 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. In the city of LA, it means 291,565 units are protected, but 359,267 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. (LAHD)
With the mayors amendments, single-family housing and historic homes are protected, but half of rent-stabilized units can still be demolished under ED1. The amendment is not retroactive so ED1 proposals to demolish rent-stabilized units that already received approvals plan to move forward. We are asking Mayor Bass and city council to protect the unprotected 359,267 units and make the law retroactive.
HAS ANYONE TRIED TO HELP?
Published June 22, 2024
Update: On July 1st, 2024, Mayor Bass amended ED1, protecting historic homes and stopping RSO buildings with 12 units or more from being demolished. In Council District 13, that means ~40,000 rent-stabilized units are protected, but ~37,000 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. In the city of LA, it means 291,565 units are protected, but 359,267 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. (LAHD) With the mayors amendments, single-family housing and historic homes are protected, but half of rent-stabilized units can still be demolished under ED1. The amendment is not retroactive so ED1 proposals to demolish rent-stabilized units that already received approvals plan to move forward. We are asking Mayor Bass and city council to protect the unprotected 359,267 units and make the law retroactive.
ED1 started December 16, 2022. It began as a fast track to build “affordable” housing everywhere in LA, but six months after making ED1, the mayor added an exemption to not build in areas zoned for single-family housing. This is relevant because it shows that the mayor can make a change to ED1 easily. Constituents have been asking her to protect rent-stabilized units and historic homes from being demolished under ED1, but a year and a half has passed since ED1 was written and she hasn't made these amendments. During that time, residents have received no-fault evictions and the proposals to demolish their rent-stabilized units have been approved.
COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
April 24th, 2024, city council voted unanimously to draft a temporary ban of demolition of 5 or more RSO units on a property under ED1. After being written, it would need to voted on by the council. (LA Times) As of June 25, 2024, the draft has not been written or voted on.
Eunisses Hernandez, council person for CD1, which includes Chinatown and Eagle Rock, authored the original motion that asked for the draft to be allowed to be written. She received good press, but since then hasn't followed through with the action of drafting the motion and getting it passed.
Compounding the situation, even if the ban was approved, it is temporary and would only last for 45 days. It could be extended if the allegedly illegal ED1 interim ordinance is voted in as permanent. But tenants need help now. The longer the city procrastinates, the more constituents will lose their homes.
COUNCIL DISTRICT 14
Back in December 2023, Councilperson for Council District 14, Kevin de Leon, also motioned for an interim ordinance to be written and presented to the council that would pause any issuance of permits for demolition, building, grading or "any other applicable permits involving properties improved with existing occupied residential dwelling units pending approval of the Boyle Heights Community Plan."
Similarly to Hernandez, de Leon received good press about the motion. Boyle Heights Beat wrote that the "interim ordinance passed" and that it prevents the issuance of demolition permits for replacing older and historic buildings with rent-controlled units. The article shared quotes from residents who believe their building is safe from being demolished. If we understand correctly, the motion passed, but it was only approval to draft the interim ordinance and vote on it later. As of May 2, 2024, the interim ordinance has been drafted, but it still hasn’t been voted on by city council. (LA Times)
Update Sept 12, 2024 - EastsiderLA.com wrote that the city council unanimously approved an Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) which will "halt demolitions of rent-controlled and affordable housing units... until a community plan is finalized over the next few months... The ordinance includes an urgency clause to ensure immediate preservation of public peace, health and safety, making it effective upon publication, which is expected to happen once Mayor Bass signs off on it." The ICO lasts for 45 days, "with the possibility of a 10-month and 15 day extension, and may be further extended for an additional year, or until the Boyle Heights Community Plan update is adopted."
The Boyle Heights Community Plan is being sued for being illegal (it's very close to 2012-2013 community plans struck down by a judge because they were illegal) the so it seems strange to tie the safety of constituents to an allegedly illegal plan instead of simply granting the safety in the same way the mayor banned single-family homes from being demolished for ED1 projects.
KNOWLEDGE SHOULD INSPIRE ACTION
The mayor and city council know these drafts were proposed. (LA Times) Why haven't other city council people written motions to protect rent-stabilized units in their areas?
Neighbors need to stay vigilant and make sure the mayor does what she did with single-family housing areas and protects rent-stabilized units across LA now. Housed people losing their homes is part of the same problem that the city is saying they prioritize. Evicting people from rent-stabilized homes needs to be treated with the same urgency.
Rent-stabilized (RSO) housing was deemed truly "affordable" by a judge in 2023: "Because the RSO prohibits landlords from raising rents to reflect 'normal market value' under certain circumstances, RSO housing units are affordable housing within the ordinary meaning of the phrase."
ED1 itself states that it considers it to be progress if there is "A decrease in the number of persons being evicted from existing housing units," yet it is being used to evict people from existing housing units, at a faster pace.
HELPING OURSELVES AS BEST WE CAN
Without formal amendments to ED1, some neighbors were still able to make temporary changes to single projects in their areas. Larchmont Village was able to have a Zoom meeting with their neighborhood council and the developer where 80 neighbors attended and 15 spoke up despite there being no public comment period required. Their neighborhood council land use committee listened and so did the developer, at least for now. Sawtelle and Sherman Oaks asked for environmental reviews in their areas, even though that's not allowed under ED1, and the city granted them.
Those are wealthier areas with more resources. While poorer areas are stuck relying on city officials who seem to say the right thing but not protect us, unexpectedly, the wealthier areas are listening to neighbors in poorer areas and we are all communicating. The biggest help right now seems to be communication.
PLEASE HELP TOO
We didn't understand any of this until it was happening to us. Many people are living at a quick pace and are in survival mode. This may not come across their radar. The more people who spread the word that ED1 is causing affordable units to be demolished while not building something that will help the unhoused, the better.
Please tell someone about this.
Update: On July 1st, 2024, Mayor Bass amended ED1, protecting historic homes and stopping RSO buildings with 12 units or more from being demolished. In Council District 13, that means ~40,000 rent-stabilized units are protected, but ~37,000 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. In the city of LA, it means 291,565 units are protected, but 359,267 rent-stabilized units can be demolished. (LAHD) With the mayors amendments, single-family housing and historic homes are protected, but half of rent-stabilized units can still be demolished under ED1. The amendment is not retroactive so ED1 proposals to demolish rent-stabilized units that already received approvals plan to move forward. We are asking Mayor Bass and city council to protect the unprotected 359,267 units and make the law retroactive.
ED1 started December 16, 2022. It began as a fast track to build “affordable” housing everywhere in LA, but six months after making ED1, the mayor added an exemption to not build in areas zoned for single-family housing. This is relevant because it shows that the mayor can make a change to ED1 easily. Constituents have been asking her to protect rent-stabilized units and historic homes from being demolished under ED1, but a year and a half has passed since ED1 was written and she hasn't made these amendments. During that time, residents have received no-fault evictions and the proposals to demolish their rent-stabilized units have been approved.
COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
April 24th, 2024, city council voted unanimously to draft a temporary ban of demolition of 5 or more RSO units on a property under ED1. After being written, it would need to voted on by the council. (LA Times) As of June 25, 2024, the draft has not been written or voted on.
Eunisses Hernandez, council person for CD1, which includes Chinatown and Eagle Rock, authored the original motion that asked for the draft to be allowed to be written. She received good press, but since then hasn't followed through with the action of drafting the motion and getting it passed.
Compounding the situation, even if the ban was approved, it is temporary and would only last for 45 days. It could be extended if the allegedly illegal ED1 interim ordinance is voted in as permanent. But tenants need help now. The longer the city procrastinates, the more constituents will lose their homes.
COUNCIL DISTRICT 14
Back in December 2023, Councilperson for Council District 14, Kevin de Leon, also motioned for an interim ordinance to be written and presented to the council that would pause any issuance of permits for demolition, building, grading or "any other applicable permits involving properties improved with existing occupied residential dwelling units pending approval of the Boyle Heights Community Plan."
Similarly to Hernandez, de Leon received good press about the motion. Boyle Heights Beat wrote that the "interim ordinance passed" and that it prevents the issuance of demolition permits for replacing older and historic buildings with rent-controlled units. The article shared quotes from residents who believe their building is safe from being demolished. If we understand correctly, the motion passed, but it was only approval to draft the interim ordinance and vote on it later. As of May 2, 2024, the interim ordinance has been drafted, but it still hasn’t been voted on by city council. (LA Times)
Update Sept 12, 2024 - EastsiderLA.com wrote that the city council unanimously approved an Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) which will "halt demolitions of rent-controlled and affordable housing units... until a community plan is finalized over the next few months... The ordinance includes an urgency clause to ensure immediate preservation of public peace, health and safety, making it effective upon publication, which is expected to happen once Mayor Bass signs off on it." The ICO lasts for 45 days, "with the possibility of a 10-month and 15 day extension, and may be further extended for an additional year, or until the Boyle Heights Community Plan update is adopted."
The Boyle Heights Community Plan is being sued for being illegal (it's very close to 2012-2013 community plans struck down by a judge because they were illegal) the so it seems strange to tie the safety of constituents to an allegedly illegal plan instead of simply granting the safety in the same way the mayor banned single-family homes from being demolished for ED1 projects.
KNOWLEDGE SHOULD INSPIRE ACTION
The mayor and city council know these drafts were proposed. (LA Times) Why haven't other city council people written motions to protect rent-stabilized units in their areas?
Neighbors need to stay vigilant and make sure the mayor does what she did with single-family housing areas and protects rent-stabilized units across LA now. Housed people losing their homes is part of the same problem that the city is saying they prioritize. Evicting people from rent-stabilized homes needs to be treated with the same urgency.
Rent-stabilized (RSO) housing was deemed truly "affordable" by a judge in 2023: "Because the RSO prohibits landlords from raising rents to reflect 'normal market value' under certain circumstances, RSO housing units are affordable housing within the ordinary meaning of the phrase."
ED1 itself states that it considers it to be progress if there is "A decrease in the number of persons being evicted from existing housing units," yet it is being used to evict people from existing housing units, at a faster pace.
HELPING OURSELVES AS BEST WE CAN
Without formal amendments to ED1, some neighbors were still able to make temporary changes to single projects in their areas. Larchmont Village was able to have a Zoom meeting with their neighborhood council and the developer where 80 neighbors attended and 15 spoke up despite there being no public comment period required. Their neighborhood council land use committee listened and so did the developer, at least for now. Sawtelle and Sherman Oaks asked for environmental reviews in their areas, even though that's not allowed under ED1, and the city granted them.
Those are wealthier areas with more resources. While poorer areas are stuck relying on city officials who seem to say the right thing but not protect us, unexpectedly, the wealthier areas are listening to neighbors in poorer areas and we are all communicating. The biggest help right now seems to be communication.
PLEASE HELP TOO
We didn't understand any of this until it was happening to us. Many people are living at a quick pace and are in survival mode. This may not come across their radar. The more people who spread the word that ED1 is causing affordable units to be demolished while not building something that will help the unhoused, the better.
Please tell someone about this.
Want more details?
➠MORE INFO
SAVE OUR HOMES.
SAVE OUR HOMES.
We're not an economic opportunity,
We're a community.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
#SAVEOURHOMES