West Hollywood is taking steps to address the housing crisis through its Zoning Improvement Program for Housing (ZIP). The program, which held a virtual community workshop on Tuesday, is led by the city’s Long Range Planning Division. ZIP aims to modernize zoning, boost affordable housing, and meet state mandates while preserving the city’s unique character. With a steep shortfall in housing production, the initiative hinges on data-driven strategies and resident input to create a more equitable future.
The region’s housing woes—caused by decades of stagnant construction amid population growth—have hit vulnerable communities hardest, with overcrowding and soaring costs prompting state intervention. West Hollywood’s 6th Cycle Housing Element (2021-2029) commits to nearly 4,000 new units by 2029 under the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). “So far we’ve permitted about 484 units,” Associate Planner Michelle Montenegro told attendees, pointing to a chart where “the purple line demonstrates the RHNA and the blue line represents the progress we’ve made.” That gap lays bare the urgency driving ZIP.
A deeper look reveals a stark affordability imbalance. Of those 484 units, 385 are above-moderate income—79.5% of the total—while only 113 low/very-low income units (against a 1,755-unit goal) and 6 moderate-income units (against 682) have been permitted. This skew toward market-rate housing clashes with the state’s emphasis on affordability, particularly for lower-income residents. ZIP’s focus on equity aims to correct this, ensuring housing growth benefits all income levels.
ZIP, which consolidates 18 of the Housing Element’s 116 objectives, targets three core goals: reducing zoning barriers, modernizing incentives for mixed-use and residential projects, and promoting transit-oriented development near major transit stops with frequent bus service. Montenegro clarified that ZIP won’t build housing directly—“it’s really to change the regulatory environment”—but its broader ambitions include increasing housing supply equitably, ensuring affordability, mitigating displacement, minimizing environmental impact, and preserving neighborhood identity. Policies like requiring developers to include affordable units or pay a fee are key tools, alongside resources like the Engage WeHo platform (engage.weho.org) and a public dashboard tracking progress.
Ethan Lay-Sleeper, a consultant from Sasaki, provided data to shape ZIP’s strategies. One analysis revealed that single-family homes, occupying 19% of residential land (120.9 acres), house just 3.9% of units (1,016), while mid-density buildings (11-100 units) cover 49.4% of land but provide 65.4% of units (17,078). This inefficiency highlights where zoning changes could unlock more housing, particularly in single-family zones.
Sasaki also mapped density across the city. “This is really the first time we’ve been able to visualize this for the city to understand existing conditions before changing future zoning,” said Lay-Sleeper. He went on the explain how options like high-density towers with open space or medium-density mixed blocks offer potential paths to balance density and livability.
The workshop, coming after ZIP’s baseline analysis phase (September 2024-February 2025), aimed to pair data with “community lived experience,” as Montenegro put it. Attendees engaged in interactive breakout groups using the Miro platform, with facilitators ensuring accessibility—“Everyone can participate…if you’re on a phone, that’s totally fine,” said team member Chenoa Schatzki-McClain. The city is also targeting “harder-to-reach populations” through focus groups. Despite minor tech hiccups in the virtual format, the session marked a key step in a process that continues with an alternatives analysis (March-July 2025), a second workshop (September 2025), and final recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council by January 2026.
West Hollywood invites residents to stay engaged via Engage WeHo, ensuring community voices shape ZIP’s next phases. As the city navigates state mandates and local needs, ZIP blends Sasaki’s insights with resident feedback, aiming to turn zoning into a tool for equitable housing growth.
This paragraph made me laugh: “One analysis revealed that single-family homes, occupying 19% of residential land (120.9 acres), house just 3.9% of units (1,016), while mid-density buildings (11-100 units) cover 49.4% of land but provide 65.4% of units (17,078). This inefficiency highlights where zoning changes could unlock more housing, particularly in single-family zones.”
Sherlock Holmes at his finest! So, it appears less people live in single family neighborhoods. Duh! So is Weho wanting to do away with the single family homes and make everything look the same? So much for diversity.
Build higher and denser on major commercial streets and in areas already zoned for multi-story buildings.
Those of us who worked our entire careers to purchase single and multi-family homes in West Hollywood are not about to allow the building of 7-story apartment buildings with balconies overlooking our yards and insufficient parking for those units to ruin the beauty of our neighborhoods – or our real estate values. The city must come up with plans to build larger and taller buildings on main thoroughfares and not ruin the communities of folks who live in low-rise single, duplex, triplex and multiplex neighborhoods. Why doesn’t the city council get off their asses and work to build a much-needed… Read more »
On any given day there are over 14,000 apartments available to rent in LA County between $1,000-$2,400/month. In West Hollywood, on any given day, there are almost 200 units available for the same price.