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September 20, 2026
- Creating More Paths to Homeownership
- El Niño Council action
- Selby/Richland drainage
- Bad News Bears Park
- First Arts, Parks and City Facilities meeting
- D Line Station Activation results
As Yom Kippur begins this evening, I wish all those observing a meaningful and easy fast. As a reminder, LADOT is relaxing enforcement of street cleaning, time limit and preferential parking restrictions in designated areas of the city through 12:00 PM on September 22. More information here. |
Creating More Paths to Homeownership
For a lot of Angelenos, buying a home in the city where they live and work has become almost impossible. The median home price in Los Angeles is now over $1 million, and only about 36 percent of homes in the city are owner-occupied.
This week, I introduced two proposals aimed at bringing back one of the traditional entry points into homeownership: condos, townhomes and other smaller homes that people can actually buy.
Los Angeles updated its zoning rules to allow more housing in more places. As redevelopment happens, I want to make sure we are creating opportunities for families to put down roots and build equity here, not just adding more homes that will remain rentals forever.
Right now, the City’s own rules often make that harder. A housing project that complies with zoning can still be pushed into a lengthy discretionary subdivision process simply because the units will be sold individually as condos. If those exact same homes were built as rental apartments, that additional review would not apply.
Time is money when you are building housing, and every extra month of review adds financing and carrying costs. Our current system creates an incentive for the market to avoid condos altogether and build rentals instead. My first motion directs City Planning to create a simpler process for eligible new condominium projects.
My second motion looks at cost. The City can charge substantially more in fees when the exact same homes are built for individual ownership instead of being held by one owner and rented as apartments. The motion asks the City to identify those differences and look at options including reducing, deferring or restructuring fees that disproportionately affect smaller ownership projects.
Condo construction in Southern California has fallen dramatically from its mid-2000s peak. Some of the biggest barriers are outside City Hall, including insurance and California’s construction-defect laws. But where Los Angeles is adding unnecessary time or expense, we should fix the rules we control.
Taking the same fight to Sacramento
Earlier this year, I authored the City’s support for AB 1903, legislation by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks to reform California’s construction-defect process, one of the state-level barriers to building new condos and townhomes. The bill passed the Assembly 68-0 and later passed the Senate, but the legislative session ended before the Assembly took the final concurrence vote.
That work will continue. If California and Los Angeles are going to allow more housing, homeownership needs to remain part of the equation. I want more Angelenos to have the chance to buy a home, build equity and stay in the communities where they build their lives.
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APPROVED | Preparing Los Angeles for El Niño
This week, the City Council approved my motion directing City departments to update their emergency plans ahead of the coming storm season, with particular attention to hillside communities vulnerable to flooding, mudslides and debris flows.
Council also heard directly from our emergency and Public Works departments about preparations already underway. Those include cleaning catch basins and debris basins, preparing crews for flooding and fallen trees, inspecting sewers and drainage systems, and coordinating emergency response across departments.
My motion also calls for clearer guidance for hillside property owners so residents know how to prepare before severe weather arrives. Council adopted it this week, 11-0.
COMPLETED | Fixing a Drainage Problem at Selby and Richland
This week, Bureau of Street Services crews addressed a longstanding drainage problem at Selby Avenue and Richland Avenue. The Safety Related Drainage Program funds smaller, targeted improvements like gutter and curb repairs to help water flow properly and reduce localized flooding. My team is working to identify other locations across Council District 5 that could benefit from the program.
ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION | Addressing Conditions at Bad News Bears Park
This week, our office received reports of an encampment at Bad News Bears Park in Westwood. Our CD5 homelessness outreach team went to the park to connect people with services and coordinated with LAPD’s West Los Angeles Division and the Department of Recreation and Parks to address conditions at the site. We will continue working to keep the park clean and accessible while connecting people experiencing homelessness with services and housing.
NEW COMMITTEE | Making Better Use of the Resources We Already Have
This week, I joined my first meeting as a member of the Council’s Arts, Parks and City Facilities Committee. I wanted to serve on this committee in part because of my role as Budget Committee chair. With the City’s General Fund stretched thin, we need to take a much closer look at the money and assets that sit outside it, including special-purpose funds and City-owned property.
That means looking at whether departments like Recreation and Parks and Cultural Affairs are fully using the resources already available to them, and whether City property can generate revenue or support neighborhood economic activity instead of sitting underused.
UPDATE | Bringing More Life to D Line Stations
At this week’s Metro Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee meeting, staff reported on the first 90 days of our D Line Station Activation Pilot. Between May and August, Metro hosted 205 activations with 15 community partners, reaching about 10,000 people and generating roughly $200,000 in revenue. The pilot brought markets, events and other programming to the areas around our new D Line stations to make them more active and welcoming. Based on those early results, Metro is now looking at how to continue and expand the program.
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COMMUNITY INPUT | New Housing at Wilshire & Crenshaw
FREE BOOK FAIR | Give a Book, Take a Book
Join the Buy Nothing community for a free Book Fair on Saturday, October 10, from 10:00 AM–2:00 PM at LA High Memorial Park, 4625 W. Olympic Blvd. Browse adult and children’s books, bring books to share and take home new reads, all for free. Book donations are being accepted in advance.
NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP | Pico-Robertson
October 11 from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Join us with Boaz Hepner and JFEDLA for the annual Pico-Robertson Neighborhood Cleanup. Community members are invited to help clean up the neighborhood and mark the Jewish New Year with a day of service. Cleaning supplies will be provided, along with pizza and snacks for volunteers. Register here.
DON’T DITCH IT, FIX IT! | Free Repair Cafe
October 17 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Bring a small item in need of repair, and volunteer fixers will do their best to mend it on the spot. The Repair Cafe is free and open to the public at Pan Pacific Recreation Center, 7600 Beverly Blvd. To volunteer or learn more, contact Adine at marieadine@hotmail.com or 323-377-0766. |
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We’re here to help! My team assists residents with homelessness concerns, streetlights, sanitation, renter issues, public safety, and other City services.
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Katy Yaroslavsky, Councilwoman 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Unsubscribe |
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