CEQA and Historic Resources: a case study in Los Angeles

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While in our work we are consistently amazed at the lengths cities will go to in frustrating housing projects, the City of Los Angeles is especially prodigious and creative in their efforts. They are particularly adept at finding creative ways to interpret the law, and often at the forefront of cities in their attempts to add delays and other red tape to the approval of housing. While this case study is about the city of LA, please note that this is not an exclusively-LA problem, any local government in California could choose to copy the LA playbook and push the boundaries in their interpretations of state law.

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Holding Los Angeles Accountable: Why We're Challenging the City's Housing Law Compliance (And Their Math Tricks)

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Earlier this year, YIMBY Law and Californians for Homeownership filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles because we believe the City has failed to comply with critical state laws intended to address California's housing shortage. The City recently filed a demurrer, asking the court to dismiss our case. We have a hearing coming up in a few weeks where we’ll get a chance to argue some of the points outlined in this post.

Read on for a deeper dive about why our upcoming hearing is important!

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Illinois Has a Builders Remedy!

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Yes, Illinois has a state Builders Remedy law! But we need your help to make it a useful tool to get affordable housing approved.

How it works: In cities where less than 10% of the housing is affordable, if the city disapproves a housing project that has 20% or more affordable housing, the developer (and soon an advocacy org) can appeal the decision to an appeals board appointed by the Governor (more on that later).

Read the rest to find out how YOU can help!

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Arlington Missing Middle Case: Updates

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On May 13th, the opening brief was filed in the Arlington Missing Middle case appeal. In addition to the opening brief, a separate appeal was filed to intervene by Wilsons Ventures, LLC, who received two Expanded Housing Amendment (EHO) permits to build homes on property purchased after the EHO Amendment passed. As a result of the trial court order, the developer could not receive a certificate of occupancy, and their developments were rendered unmarketable and potentially uninhabitable.

Below is a summary of where the case stands now and what could happen in the near future –

REPORT: Lakewood’s Open Space Ordinance

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Passed under the false guise of protecting parkland, Lakewood's Citizen-drafted ordinance illegally increased burdens on multi-family housing and derailed over 100 development projects—jeopardizing both affordable housing and responsible land use. YIMBY Law jumped into action with local advocates, exposing the ordinance’s constitutional and legal flaws, mobilizing public pressure, and pushing the City Council to repeal it.

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REPORT: Rezoning deadlines are here—and many CA cities are stalling.

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REPORT: Rezoning deadlines are here—and many CA cities are stalling.

California cities have a legal duty to rezone to accommodate more housing. Through its tracking and accountability work, YIMBY Law is identifying jurisdictions that are failing to meet rezoning deadlines required by Housing Element law—deadlines that are essential for enabling new housing development. This work to track and report on rezonings holds cities accountable and impresses on them the seriousness of these laws.

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