The Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department is a key agency overseeing housing development and affordable housing investments in LA. With the city facing a severe housing shortage, the department plays a crucial role in facilitating new housing construction, preserving existing affordable units, providing rental assistance vouchers, enforcing rent control laws, and financing community projects.
In this article, we will explore key initiatives, programs, data and trends related to the department’s housing investments across Los Angeles. Understanding the department’s strategies and investments provides insights into how the city approaches the housing crisis across neighborhoods and populations.
Key affordable housing programs managed by the department
The Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department manages a range of programs focused on expanding affordable housing access for LA residents. Major initiatives include:
– Affordable Housing Trust Fund – Finances construction of affordable rental and ownership units. Funded by taxes, bonds and fees. Helped finance over 8,800 affordable units since 2001.
– Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) – Holds rent payments to incentivize landlords to make repairs on unsafe rental units. Over $390 million held in escrow since inception.
– Rental assistance programs – Administers Section 8 rental vouchers, rental subsidies, supportive housing to assist over 50,000 households.
– Tax increment financing – Issues bonds against future property tax gains in redevelopment areas to finance community projects.
Recent investments in permanent supportive housing
The city has invested heavily in permanent supportive housing development to assist homeless populations. Key projects driven by housing department funding include:
– Proposition HHH – Approved $1.2 billion bond to development 10,000 housing units for the homeless. Already funded construction starts for over 7,000 units.
– A Bridge Home Program – $82 million initiative to construct temporary shelter facilities across LA while permanent housing is developed. Provided over 930 beds across 16 shelters.
Enforcement of rent control and stabilization policies
The Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department enforces the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) and rent control policies. This involves:
– Tracking allowable rent increases under the RSO – Rent increases capped at 3% for units built before 1978 with tenants older than 62 or disabled.
– Administering the Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) – Proactively inspects multi-family rental units for compliance with health and safely codes. Over 15,000 inspections conducted annually.
– Overseeing evictions process – Regulates legal reasons for tenant evictions like failure to pay rent or breach of lease terms.
Use of data to guide housing investments
In making decisions around housing investments, policies and programs, the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department utilizes various housing data sources:
– Regular homeless counts – Provide snapshot estimates of sheltered and street homeless populations across LA’s council districts.
– Housing inventory counts – Track net gains in affordable housing units from new construction, conversions and preservation of existing housing.
– Neighborhood housing profiles – Analyze specific neighborhood demographics, housing types, affordability ratios and market conditions to identify investment priorities.
As explored throughout this article, the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department utilizes a diverse set of programs, policies, initiatives and data sources to facilitate greater housing affordability and accessibility for LA residents. With the city continuing to face a severe housing shortage, the strategic housing investments overseen by this department will remain crucial in providing homes for vulnerable populations.