COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN INTRODUCES SUITE OF MOTIONS TO CUT RED TAPE AND GREENLIGHT MORE HOUSING IN LA

For Immediate Release: July 1, 2025

Los Angeles, CA – Today, Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced critical legislation in partnership with Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, to remove self-imposed barriers to housing development and to enable the city to greenlight much more new housing. 

This legislation will address some of the key procedural hurdles preventing housing from being built, including addressing permit delays for State-approved small-scale housing, strengthening the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP), streamlining the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)’s engagement with new development, and overhauling our plan check and permitting process to eliminate delays, reduce unnecessary complexity, and resolve conflicts between departments. 

In the midst of a nationwide housing crisis, the City of Los Angeles has continued to underbuild year-over-year, resulting in a severe shortage of available housing at all income-levels for residents and the largest unsheltered homeless population in the country. A range of factors have contributed to the City falling further and further short of its state-mandated housing goals. Councilmember Raman has been working on legislative interventions to spur the production of housing since being elected – including this year with efforts to develop a Citywide self-certification program and updating the City’s building codes to legalize single stairwell construction, allowing for the development of more affordable family-sized units. However, the process for building housing in the City of Los Angeles remains far too lengthy and bureaucratic, and mired in a culture rewarded for saying “no.” 

Councilmember Raman introduced a set of motions as a first step to cut the red tape, greenlight production, and build a culture of saying an emphatic “yes” to more housing. The five motions include:

Improving the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) Approval Process

This motion calls for a full-scale review of LADWP’s approvals processes for new development in order to comprehensively streamline permitting, cut down review times, improve communications, and align power-infrastructure planning with the City’s housing goals. 

Simplifying and coordinating entitlements, plan check, permitting, and inspections 

This motion seeks to develop an efficient system – like those successfully used in other cities – in order for all relevant departments to work together to review projects in a timely fashion, resolve conflicts, and provide clear and binding guidance for applicants. 

Amending the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) 

This motion aims to amend the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) to enable more projects to be considered ministerial, making one of our most effective housing incentives stronger and simpler. 

Streamlining State-Approved Small-Scale Housing Plans 

This motion seeks to streamline State-approved small-scale housing plans to build lower-cost housing quickly by addressing delays in permitting small-scale, factory-built homes like Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and tiny houses that are already approved under state laws. 

Allowing the Separate Conveyance of ADUs 

This motion would authorize the City to adopt a local ordinance to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to be sold separately or conveyed from the primary residence as condominiums.

“It should not be an act of courage in Los Angeles to say yes to housing,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman. “This set of motions aims to kickstart a much needed change in culture in Los Angeles, moving us from a city notorious for unnecessary bureaucracy and arbitrary delays to one that embraces a better, more affordable future.” 

“It’s imperative to continue cutting through red tape so we can spur housing development and reverse the growing affordability crisis,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “There are so many innovative ways to expand our housing stock, but the possibilities are limited unless we think outside the box like we are with this suite of motions.”

“Angelenos are struggling under the weight of our housing crisis caused by decades of banning apartments and making the housing we need too onerous and expensive to build” said Azeen Khanmalek, Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA. “The package of reforms introduced today by Councilmember Raman will make critical housing units simpler and faster to build, and will bring City agencies together to ensure that we can build more housing as fast as people to ensure that every Angeleno has access to a home they can afford.” 

“Housing is at the root of L.A.’s most complex policy challenges — from affordability to homelessness to recruiting and retaining workforces across industries” said Nella McOsker, President & CEO of Central City Association. “These motions that expedite development are a step in the right direction. We commend Councilmember Raman’s leadership in making it easier to build the housing our city urgently needs.”

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