West Hollywood has produced about 400 units of affordable housing for very low, low, and moderate-income households since 2006. That is according to a new report by WeHo by the Numbers, based on city data through 2016.
The State of California requires each region to do a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). It includes estimates of the number of new housing units needed over the next few years in four income categories: very low, low, moderate, and above moderate.
The needed housing gets divvied up among the region’s cities. The cities do not have to force anyone to build the housing. They just have to ensure that their own rules would allow that much housing (or more) to be built.
For the current RHNA cycle from 2013 to 2021, West Hollywood was assigned only 77 units total. The city has built 14 times that so far. Over the last two cycles combined, 2006 to 2021, West Hollywood was allocated 661 units. Three times as many have already been built.
Over half (376) of the city’s combined allocation from 2006 to 2021 was for very low, low, and moderate-income affordable housing. Almost 400 affordable units have already been produced. Another 64 have been approved but have not been built yet.
Almost 90% of the affordable units produced since 2006 were for very low- and low-income households. A little over 10% (45 units) were for moderate-income households. The moderate-income share rose from 5% during the 2006-2013 period to 20% after 2013. The RHNA numbers imply a goal of 30%.
To find out more, see the full report, How close is West Hollywood to its state-mandated goal for new housing?
Or as it should be called, subsidised housing. It’s affordable to some because someone else is paying for it. Is it fair to build them in the most expensive areas? No, not to the “payor or payee” so to speak. More units would be built for the same money in less expensive areas. And isn’t that the point? As many units as possible! Big big waist of money. Someone else’s money. PC gone amok here. It’s the money that should take precedent.
Perhaps it does exceed State Standards. That doesn’t mean it’s adequate…