Los Angeles faces a puzzling housing crisis. While the city struggles with a shortage of affordable homes, there are over 20,000 lots zoned for housing that remain vacant. These lots present an opportunity for creating new pathways to homeownership. A recent experiment aims to transform these small parcels into affordable housing using designs like duplexes and townhomes — a more accessible alternative to the traditional single-family homes.
Reviving Affordable Homeownership
Dana Cuff, director of UCLA’s cityLAB, spearheads the ‘Small Lots, Big Impacts’ initiative. This effort focuses on converting vacant, privately owned land into affordable housing opportunities. Historically, small-scale, multiunit housing played a significant role in Los Angeles architecture, ranging from Spanish Colonial duplexes to courtyard apartments. However, these properties were often rental units or luxury listings in affluent neighborhoods.
Homeownership rates in L.A. are among the lowest in California. Nearly three-quarters of residential zones were previously reserved for single-family homes. Recent legislation, though, now permits development of small-scale complexes that can be sold individually. This presents a chance to create reasonably priced homes, particularly in areas lacking mid-density buildings.
Cuff asked, ‘How do we get back to a post-WWII style of starter homes?’
Filling a Market Gap
Emmanuel Proussaloglou, cityLAB’s co-director, recognizes the significant gap in affordable homeownership options. He believes the initiative is a crucial step toward addressing this shortage. While areas like downtown L.A. have added new large-scale apartments, other neighborhoods haven’t matched this growth. New developments often encounter resistance from local groups.
Proponents of the initiative aim to build smaller, higher-density projects without altering neighborhood dynamics. A successful model may allow five, six, or up to twelve units on lots previously limited to one or two homes.
Pilot Projects Launched
CityLAB identified over 20,000 vacant lots suitable for these projects. This figure represents only about 2% of all privately owned parcels in L.A., yet it holds promise for substantial impact.
The ‘Small Lots, Big Impacts’ initiative recently announced the selection of three designer-developer teams. These teams will create pilot housing projects with at least five units each. The program offers financial and regulatory assistance, including low-interest loans from Genesis L.A., along with support from LA4LA and BMO Bank.
The homes will be sold, with a percentage set aside for low- or middle-income buyers. The aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of affordable housing with added benefits such as outdoor spaces and community connections.
Forward-Looking Designs
The initiative initially focused on city-owned lots but shifted toward privately owned land due to implementation delays. Christian Stayner, of Stayner Architects, leads one of the teams. They aim to develop a nearly 6,000-square-foot Eastside lot previously used for storage. This project gained momentum due to legislative changes easing construction of mid-density housing.
Stayner’s design plans include a building with six individually owned units. Other teams propose unique approaches, such as shared cooperatives and prefabricated construction methods. The variety in designs reflects the project’s experimental nature aimed at inspiring similar future projects.
Officials anticipate that construction will begin before summer, modeling new solutions to L.A.’s housing challenges.