Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 10

19 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 10 the City is seeking to plan for growth in a way that addresses regional, statewide, and national concerns like climate change and housing affordability. The plan for Downtown builds on the area’s strengths, such as its walkability, density, ample public transit, and range of activities, envisioning a bustling urban core that can accommodate 20 percent of the City’s overall projected household growth in just one percent of its total land area. One way the plan seeks to realize this vision is by restructuring the way L.A. regulates housing Downtown. Housing Over the last 20 years, Downtown L.A. has welcomed new housing and new residents. Adaptive reuse projects in the Historic Core, joint live-work projects in the Arts District, and new high-rise and mid-rise buildings in South Park have all contributed to the neighborhood’s capacity and desirability. Since 2010, Downtown has brought 15,000 new housing units online. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES , CAL I FORNI A While these units are crucial additions to the City’s housing stock, Los Angeles still has work to do to meet the need for affordable housing, a need that only continues to grow as the population increases. A key part of the City’s proposal for Downtown is the Community Benefits Program, which incentivizes the development of affordable housing and encourages the creation of housing for a range of incomes. Under the program, projects would receive increased development rights in exchange for setting aside a certain number of affordable units for low-income households. Rent for affordable units would be protected by a binding covenant with a 55-year term. All new development in the area covered by the Downtown Community Plan would remain subject to the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee program, which disincentivizes the removal of existing affordable units from the market and establishes a fund the City and partner agencies can use to build new ones.