Building Homes, Protecting Neighborhoods

Los Angeles must build far more housing, and fast, while protecting what makes each neighborhood special. State law requires the city to plan for about 456,000 new homes by 2029, and we’re already halfway through that window. To catch up, we need to streamline approvals, plan smarter, and focus growth in the right places.

We can choose where and how to build, and make good housing easier to create. My commitment: cut red tape for quality housing while protecting the character and stability of our communities.

A Community‑Driven Alternative to SB 79

Senate Bill 79 would blanket‑upzone much of Los Angeles, allowing big increases 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 work to adopt a local alternative plan that meets or exceeds state housing goals with targeted growth along 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 15‑Minute Neighborhoods

Right now, development feels random. We are developing isolated projects without trees, shops, or a street plan. I want to replace that chaos with 15‑minute neighborhoods, where most daily needs are a short walk or bike ride away.

We’ll:

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

  • Use standard plans for coordinated heights, trees, and lighting.

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

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

Making Good Housing Easy to Build

Developers, nonprofit and for‑profit, agree: it’s too slow, unpredictable, and costly to build in L.A. We can change that by focusing on speed, certainty, and quality.

I will:

  • Pre‑entitle priority sites along major corridors and near transit.

  • Create a Housing Fix Team to resolve inter‑agency bottlenecks in real time.

  • Relieve fees and streamline small builders to unlock ADUs and small‑site infill.

  • Set clear housing targets with public dashboards that track progress.

We’ll make it low‑risk, low‑hassle, and profitable to build the housing we want without inviting speculation or poor design.

Smarter Use of ED 1 and Existing Buildings

The mayor’s Executive Directive 1 has produced thousands of affordable‑housing proposals but also pushback where projects replace existing rent‑stabilized homes or lack design quality.

I’ll ensure ED 1 works as intended:

  • No demolitions of RSO buildings for ED 1 projects.

  • Allow ED 1 only in planned corridors, not mid‑block or single‑family streets.

  • Prioritize acquisition and rehab of existing underused buildings.

  • Require transparent cost‑benefit comparisons to fund the most durable, dignified housing.

ED 1 can help but it can’t be our default solution, especially when so many underused sites can deliver new homes without displacing long‑time renters.

Fixing Measure ULA So It Works

The voter‑approved Measure ULA tax was meant to raise hundreds of millions yearly for housing and homelessness response. Instead, it’s collected far less—around $270 million annually while chilling investment and housing production.

We can fix it without repealing it:

  • Exempt or lower rates for projects that deliver new housing or jobs.

  • Tighten loopholes and treat all sellers fairly.

  • Ensure faster spending and public tracking so dollars quickly reach real housing outcomes.