COUNCIL MOVES TO DRAFT ORDINANCE PERMITTING SINGLE-STAIRWAY BUILDINGS TO SPUR HOUSING GROWTH

For Immediate Release: August 20, 2025

Los Angeles, CA – Today, the Los Angeles City Council moved to prepare and present a draft ordinance amending the City’s Build Code to allow single-stairway, single-exit, multifamily unit residential buildings of up to six stories, spurring the construction of new housing. Borne from a motion introduced by Councilmembers Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky, the new ordinance will remove an outdated requirement for apartment buildings to have double stairwells, which have become a hindrance to building on smaller lots and to creating larger units with greater natural light and ventilation and buildings with enhanced green space. Today’s vote instructs the Department of Building and Safety (DBS) and Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), in consultation with the City Attorney and the Department of City Planning (DCP) to draft an ordinance updating the City’s Building Code to allow for the construction of new residential buildings that are well-designed, affordable, and more livable for families.

Los Angeles building codes require two stairwells in all multi-family buildings above three stories, a requirement born out of early 20th century planning concerns related to fire safety. However, studies have shown that increased safety features like sprinklers and fire-resistant materials have since rendered the need for multiple staircases obsolete, and major cities across the country, including New York and Seattle, now allow for the development of single-stairwell buildings over three stories. 

The change could also make it easier to build larger apartments. The City’s most recent Housing Element estimates that just 14% of the city’s rental homes have three bedrooms or more, compared with 70% of owner-occupied homes. 

“This outdated requirement makes it almost impossible for young families in the City of Los Angeles to find affordable apartments with the space they need,” said Councilmember Raman. “I want to make it possible for these families to stay! Today’s vote to reform our building code is a huge win that will stimulate the construction of badly needed new housing, especially in already-developed neighborhoods near public transportation and commercial areas.”

“Solving our housing crisis means looking at the whole system. That includes cutting red tape and modernizing outdated codes so projects can move forward more quickly, at lower cost, and with designs that create real homes for families,” said Councilwoman Yaroslavsky. “We are creating the conditions for more housing to be built in ways that reflect our communities needs and move Los Angeles toward a city that is affordable, sustainable, and livable for everyone.”

Today’s legislation instructs the Department of Building and Safety (DBS) and Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), in consultation with the City Attorney and the Department of City Planning (DCP) to prepare and present a draft ordinance to amend the applicable provisions of the Los Angeles Building Codes and Fire Codes in order to permit the use of a single exit in residential apartment buildings up to six stories in height, using the City of Seattle’s policies as a model.

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