Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed into law on Thursday, July 6, an ordinance updating the city’s zoning code to exempt all affordable units from the time-consuming Site Plan Review process that often delays final approval of much-needed housing projects.
The city’s existing building code required all housing developments of more than 49 units to undergo Site Plan Review, which can add months to the completion of a project and increase expenses. Many developers avoid the process by limiting housing projects to 49 units in an attempt to avoid the review — reducing affordable housing units when the project could support far more.
Bass signed the new ordinance into law alongside Council President Paul Krekorian and Council President Pro Tempore Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who both co-authored the legislation. Bass said the ordinance is part of an effort that was already long underway by the time she was sworn in as mayor in December.
“I’m grateful to each of you and your colleagues for your tireless work to get us to this point,” Bass said.
