The Los Angeles City Council took the first step on Tuesday, April 30, to protect tenants in rent-controlled buildings from being harmed by a city rule aimed at increasing L.A.’s affordable housing stock but which, ironically, has put some low-income renters at risk of losing their own affordable housing.
The issue recently came to light when residents of a 17-unit rent-controlled property in Eagle Rock learned that they might lose their homes after a developer applied to the city to demolish the units to make way for a new, 153-unit affordable housing project. The developer is seeking to use a fast-tracked approval process under Mayor Karen Bass’ Executive Directive 1 (ED1).
Some residents at 4319 N. Toland Way worry they would be priced out of their neighborhood, including some who have lived there for decades, while others fear they’ll become homeless if evicted.
In response to the situation unfolding on Toland Way, the City Council voted 13-0 on Tuesday to instruct city staff to draft an “interim control ordinance” that would temporarily prohibit the city from approving 100% affordable housing projects within certain parts of Council District 1 on properties that fall under L.A.’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) and have five or more occupied units. RSO units are rent-controlled — limiting how much a landlord can raise the rent each year.
City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the motion, said during Tuesday’s council meeting that she’s not against development. But, she said, it’s critical to prevent the loss of existing rent-stabilized apartments from L.A.’s housing market.
“You cannot build your way out of a housing crisis if you’re not building the right type of housing,” Hernandez said, adding that it’s important to provide “deeply affordable” housing for severely low-income tenants.
The interim control ordinance, if approved by the council, would apply to certain areas of Council District 1, including parts…
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