Read Our Statement on the LA City Council Motion to Codify the Emergency Measure to Expedite Affordable Housing

Dear Honorable Los Angeles City Council President and Council Members, 

The Committee for Greater LA and The Angeleno Project is a cross-sectoral group of civic leaders working to advance system changes and dismantle institutional racism. As the initial projected phase of Mayor Bass’ Emergency Declaration comes to its six-month review, we urge the city council to codify the Emergency Declaration (ED 1) and work to expand access to the expediting measures for affordable housing. 

We have seen significant results over the past six months and significant challenges to expedite bringing people inside and connecting people with permanent housing. We want affordable housing built faster and more efficiently by expediting approvals. As the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) study demonstrated, the expediting of Executive Directive No 1, has greatly increased affordable housing starts and decreased wait times for approvals which translates into decreased costs. As the city council works to make this new approach permanent, the Emergency Declaration must remain in place to ensure that projects in the pipeline are completed quickly and without increased costs. We also urge the expansion of expediting projects that may be stuck for various reasons so that more affordable housing comes online faster. 

The status quo cannot be fixed with minor changes. We need the bold actions of the Emergency Declaration and the related Executive Directives to achieve results that save lives and reverse the institutional and disproportionate exclusion of our Black, Brown, and Indigenous neighbors. 

Angelenos have been asking for bold and transformative action to solve the issue.  Our survey of Los Angeles voters shows that 95% want to see more expedited results.