Culver City Observer -

Today, Abundant Housing LA is releasing a map of housing element quality in Los Angeles County.

The map, which scores cities based on our assessment of their housing element, HCD certification, past performance with housing production, and the prevalence of single family housing, represents the culmination of years of advocacy and work with local advocates and policymakers to plan for housing growth in a fair, sustainable way.

Moving forward, these housing elements promise to guide the Los Angeles area into a new era of housing policy as cities adopt new zoning rules and implement far-reaching programs to remove constraints on housing development.

"Housing elements are an opportunity for local governments to demonstrate that they have the will to address the housing affordability crisis. This analysis can help housing advocates focus their efforts on areas of greatest concern and assist with oversight of implementation," noted David Barboza, Director of Policy and Research for Abundant Housing LA.

"For the first time in California history, local jurisdictions must create housing plans that are equitable, ambitious, and accountable. Abundant Housing has been the leading voice in this effort, bringing community members to the table to demand that cities meet their obligations. The work of AHLA and its coalition partners has been instrumental in charting a future of more homes, lower prices, and greater opportunity for people of all incomes and backgrounds," said Shane Philips, Housing Initiative Project Manager at the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies.

"California cities will determine whether the state meets its housing goals, and AHLA's Housing Element Quality Map is a great snapshot of how seriously cities are approaching that responsibility. Southern California cities and housing advocates now need to focus on housing element compliance and accountability. 1,341,827 households are counting on us" said Alex Fisch, former mayor of Culver City.

Abundant Housing LA is a pro-housing nonprofit advocacy organization that is working to help solve Southern California's housing crisis by supporting more housing at all levels of affordability, as well as reforms to land use and zoning codes. To maintain our independence, we do not accept financial support from housing developers or their consultants.