LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council voted today to support a package of state housing reform bills aimed at expanding pathways to homeownership and accelerating the construction of attainable “missing middle” housing across California. Led by Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Adrin Nazarian, the resolutions support AB 1903 (Wick), AB 1406 (Ward), and AB 1070 (Ward), a legislative package focused on reducing barriers to building condominiums, townhomes, duplexes, courtyard apartments, and other small multifamily housing types that have historically served as entry points into homeownership for middle-income families.
“For too many Angelenos, the path to owning a home and building a future in Los Angeles no longer exists,” said Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky. “Families want to stay here. They want stability, a little outdoor space, and a chance to own something one day. But increasingly, the only options are renting forever or somehow affording a multimillion-dollar single-family home. These bills take practical steps to address outdated state rules that have made ownership housing harder and harder to build.”
“If we care about housing affordability and we want to keep the dream of home ownership alive for California families, these are changes we need to make,” said Councilmember Adrin Nazarian. “Today, only 3 percent of all annually constructed housing in California is built for sale. If this continues, we will become a society of renters, and home ownership will be a forgotten dream for generations to come. Let’s make home ownership a real possibility for more Angelenos. Let’s give them an ownership stake in our society.”
The legislative package addresses several long-standing state-level barriers that housing advocates and local governments say have contributed to the collapse of new condominium and townhome construction in California over the last two decades:
- AB 1903 modernizes California’s construction defect framework by allowing builders the opportunity to address issues before litigation begins, helping reduce risk and encourage more ownership housing production.
- AB 1406 updates outdated financing rules by increasing allowable homebuyer deposits for new housing developments, helping lower construction financing costs and improve project feasibility.
- AB 1070 directs the state to study how smaller multifamily housing projects with three to ten homes could follow residential building standards instead of commercial codes designed for large-scale developments.
Supporters argue the package could help increase the production of family-sized ownership housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods near jobs, schools, and transit.
“Most Californian renters want to become homeowners, but rules that limit the construction of homes for ownership put that dream out of reach for most people,” said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY. “The entire state has a shortage of homes that are affordable for purchase – and like all Californians, Angelenos deserve a shot at home ownership. I’m grateful to the LA City Council for supporting these bills.”
AB1903 could be heard by the California Assembly as early as this afternoon. AB1406 and AB1070 passed the California Assembly earlier this year. All three bills must be considered by the California Senate.
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