Press Release: YIMBY Law Files Lawsuit Against the City of Los Angeles, Argues 100% Affordable Housing Project Must Be Approved

Contact: Jessamyn Garner • jessamyn@yimbyaction.org • (760) 846-2525

Los Angeles, CA — YIMBY Law has filed suit against the city of Los Angeles for illegally delaying a 100% affordable housing project located on Winnetka Ave. The project falls under the original form of Mayor Karen Bass’s Executive Directive 1 (ED1) which streamlines 100% affordable housing projects. The lawsuit aims to ensure these homes and similar projects are approved and streamlined as permitted in ED1.

"YIMBY Law and our coalition partners tried to work with the city, and HCD sent them a letter reinforcing our stance that this project must be approved," said Jessamyn Garner, Communications Director at YIMBY Law. “They still chose to break the law, so we’re suing. The city can’t be allowed to continue these obstructionist practices.”

“By denying this project and other projects that fall under the same policy, the city has said no to affordable housing worth over $750,000,000 that would have helped hundreds of people live in stable, affordable homes without the city having to spend a dime,” said Laura Foote, Executive Director of YIMBY Action. “The idea that the city would say no to low-cost housing at a time when Los Angeles is in dire need of affordable housing is offensive to the voters who put these leaders in office to address the housing crisis.”

ED1 created a path to streamline the Winnetka project as well as similar projects representing over 1,500 total affordable homes. Instead, the city is illegally subjecting them to the same laborious and expensive process that has killed dozens of affordable housing projects in the past.

If these homes are not approved, not only will Los Angeles go without hundreds of much-needed affordable homes, but this decision will also stymie similar efforts to build affordable housing in the future by creating additional barriers and ambiguity in the application and review process.

“Los Angeles can’t keep delaying affordable housing,” said Sonja Trauss, Executive Director at YIMBY Law. “We’ve spoken with them about the legal and moral implications of going back on their own policy. The city still broke the law, and now they have to be held accountable.”