Responding to concerns about how some rent-controlled units could be lost as a result of streamlining initiatives for affordable housing, the Los Angeles City Council took steps Tuesday to impose temporary regulations until appropriate land use controls are made.
Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez’s motion applies only to a particular area within her First District, and aims to establish a discretionary review process allowing the “demolition, building, use of land, grading and any other applicable permits” of properties containing five or more rent-controlled units or units that have been vacated as a result of the Ellis Act within five years.
Council members voted 12-0 to instruct the Planning Department to immediately prepare and present what is known as an Interim Control Ordinance.
Council members Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky were absent during the vote.
Urbanize LA, a website focused on real estate development and urban planning, reported about proposals to replace two rent-controlled properties on Toland Way in Eagle Rock with an eight-story, 153-unit building. The plans were streamlined for approval through Mayor Karen Bass’ Executive Directive No. 1, which expedites developments of affordable housing projects.
While the proposed new building would be income-restricted and units would be priced below market rate, concerns were raised that the redevelopment of the property would lead to the loss of 17 rent-controlled units and displace tenants from their homes.
Following the reports, Hernandez introduced her motion on April 19. She noted that approximately 45 tenants — families, seniors, disabled or sick residents — who have lived there for several years have expressed frustration and concern about how the situation unfolded.
“Most were unaware of the redevelopment plans until it was published by niche media outlets (Urbanize LA) focused on development, leaving them with limited time and options to understand their rights and prepare for relocation,” Hernandez motion reads. “This in part was attributed to the swift approval process without discretionary review and the absence of public hearings and related notices.”
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Hernandez told her colleagues prior to the vote that she wished they had more tools to support tenants living in rent-controlled units.
While the city does have a policy in place to ensure relocation assistance, she said it was not enough. Additionally, the city also provides tenants with “first access” to new units if they previously lived in a building that was redeveloped.
Again, the councilwoman lamented that tenants often don’t rent those redeveloped units because they can’t afford to. She said that her motion is “not anti-development” — in fact, she said she wants to see a lot more development.
“We want to streamline affordable housing, all of it, but the missing middle cannot come at the expense of our most affordable units,” Hernandez said. “This is about ensuring that we protect our RSO (rent stabilization ordinance) housing stock.”
The Los Angeles Housing Department reports more than 650,000 rent-controlled units citywide, with 51,631 RSO units in the First District — including the neighborhoods of Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Mount Washington, Glassell Park, Highland Park and Eagle Rock.
“… I as a representative of CD 1 have to do everything in my power to try to keep folks housed in my district because we have a serious eviction-to-homelessness pipeline,” Hernandez added.
Council members also heard from over a dozen speakers urging them to support Hernandez’s motion. Some were residents of the two properties located on 4719 Toland Way.
Yaya Castillo criticized Bass’ ED 1 for “accelerating gentrification” under the guise of supporting affordable housing. She added, “This order has been created without the renter in mind because it is purely pro-developer.”
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the northeast San Fernando Valley, backed Hernandez’s proposal.
“I think it’s an important inflection point for everyone to take stock of the types of decisions that we’re making around land use,” Rodriguez said. “We shouldn’t be accelerating and not considering the implications of what that accelerant looks like.”
She called it “disheartening” to see such an immense shift in areas like Highland Park and Eagle Rock when redevelopment displaces long-time residents, who are often low-income and people of color.
“We shouldn’t be doing an exchange and displacing people. This is not the way it’s supposed to work,” Rodriguez said. `We have to be smarter policy makers, and not just fall to whatever whim that people have in directives that are trying to accelerate the construction of housing — not at the expense of the very affordable housing that is keeping people housed.”
Council President Paul Krekorian encouraged city departments to come back with a thoughtful analysis of the issue and examine any legal issues involved.
With the council’s approval, the proposed Interim Control Ordinance, once drafted, will come before the Planning and Land Use Management Committee before a final vote by the City Council.