VACANT TO VIBRANT

Vacant to Vibrant will leverage Los Angeles’ new citywide adaptive reuse rules, which let many existing commercial and industrial buildings be converted to housing largely within their existing footprint and volume, rather than requiring demolition and full ground‑up construction.

What I’ll Do Directly in My Council District

Making good housing easy to build starts in my own district. I will:

  • Identify and publicly champion a priority list of vacant and underused buildings for housing conversions, and actively support the land‑use approvals those projects need.

  • Create a District Vacant to Vibrant Team in my office to shepherd serious projects through DWP, Building and Safety, Fire, and Planning, troubleshooting delays in real time instead of letting them sit for months.

  • Use council‑office resources to help community‑based and nonprofit developers with early pre‑development needs (studies, test‑fits, code questions) so they can compete with big, out‑of‑town players.

  • Work with Neighborhood Councils to adopt pro‑conversion principles for key corridors, giving clear political support to projects that add housing without displacing rent‑stabilized tenants.

The goal is simple: in my district, if you’re turning a long‑empty site into well‑designed housing that respects tenants and the community, my office will make you a priority.

Citywide Changes I’ll Champion

From the council dais, I’ll push for citywide reforms that make Vacant to Vibrant projects pencil even in a tough interest‑rate environment:

  • Strengthen and fully implement adaptive reuse and conversion rules so more existing office, commercial, and industrial buildings can become housing by right in appropriate areas.

  • Create true fast‑track lanes for qualified conversion projects - clear timelines, coordinated reviews, and automatic escalation when agencies miss deadlines.

  • Target fee relief and smarter incentives at projects that convert vacant or obsolete buildings into housing with real affordability and tenant protections, not at speculative luxury knock‑downs.

  • Align city policy with new county and state tools so we can bring more public and mission‑driven capital into buying and converting underused properties, not just greenfield luxury projects.

Vacant to Vibrant means I will use every tool available at both the district and city levels - empty lots, old buildings, smarter rules, and better coordination—to turn stuck properties into stable homes for Angelenos, efficiently and fairly.

15 Minute City Model

Los Angeles must build far more housing, and fast, and we can choose where and how we grow. My vision is a city of 15‑minute neighborhoods, where most daily needs, shops, schools, groceries, and parks, are just a short walk or bike ride away.

A Community‑Driven Alternative to SB 79

State law requires the city to plan for about 456,000 new homes by 2029. But Senate Bill 79 would blanket‑upzone huge portions of L.A., allowing big jumps in height and density, even in historic, walkable neighborhoods like Larchmont, Windsor Square, and Silver Lake without real planning for streets or infrastructure.

I oppose that one‑size‑fits‑all approach. Instead, I’ll push for a local alternative plan that meets or exceeds state housing goals with targeted growth along major corridors and transit‑rich streets. This plan will be developed with neighbors, renters, small businesses, and design experts, and submitted to the state as a community‑built, legally compliant alternative.

From Whack‑a‑Mole to Smart Growth

Right now, development feels random - isolated projects with no trees, shops, or street plan. I want to replace that chaos with connected, complete neighborhoods.

We’ll:

  • Focus taller, mixed‑use housing on major streets like Vermont.

  • Use coordinated design standards for height, trees, lighting, and open space.

  • Pair new housing with safer crossings, better transit, and small‑business support.

Good housing should also be beautiful: human‑scaled, walkable, and welcoming. Beautiful design costs no more than bad design, and it strengthens local business corridors and community pride.

Building Homes, Protecting Neighborhoods

We can and must build far more housing while protecting what makes every neighborhood special. By aligning growth with transit, infrastructure, and community input, Los Angeles can finally break the cycle of random development and achieve balanced, sustainable growth.

The 15‑Minute City vision gives us more homes, shorter commutes, stronger small businesses, and a better daily experience for everyone who calls L.A. home.