Enhancing Supportive Housing Creation: LA Council’s Comprehensive Review Process

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to undertake a comprehensive review of the city’s permitting, approval, and communication procedures for the development of supportive and interim housing for unhoused Angelenos.

The motion, introduced by Councilman Bob Blumenfield, instructs multiple city departments, including the mayor’s office, to conduct the review and provide a report with recommendations on various aspects. These include:

– Creating process maps for each interim housing model;

– Identifying ways to further reduce construction timelines;

– Improving communication between city departments and contractors;

– Updating current processes to accommodate new models of interim housing; and

– Exploring options for waiving fees related to permits.

The motion also calls for a review of interim site operator contracts to enhance the implementation of “good neighbor” protocols. These protocols aim to ensure that housing operators are responsible partners to the surrounding community, addressing concerns related to public safety, facility maintenance, and resident behavior.

In 2018, the city declared a shelter crisis to streamline the construction of interim shelters in response to the homelessness crisis. The city’s June 2020 Roadmap Agreement commits to building a minimum of 6,700 beds, with funding provided by Los Angeles County for these projects.

As of June 20, there were 7,002 new Roadmap beds open and occupied. The city has also started building “pallet” units, which are small, detached, and prefabricated housing shelters.

According to the motion, one advantage of using prefabricated units was the quick and straightforward installation and replacement process for damaged units. However, the reality is that it can take weeks to replace these units due to coordination with onsite operators, plan submissions, inspections, and the payment of permits and fees.

The motion aims to address and improve these processes to ensure smoother operations. “As the city’s inventory of interim housing grows, it becomes increasingly important to incorporate resident feedback, add amenities, and explore different models of prefabricated units. This will require the focused attention of city departments,” the motion states.