Councilmember Raman Introduces Motion To Increase The City’s Interim Housing Stock

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2022

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LOS ANGELES — Yesterday, Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion to streamline the City of Los Angeles’ process for acquiring and developing private properties and buildings for use as interim housing in order to increase supply and the rate at which it is made available. Raman’s legislation seeks to create a request for proposal (RFP) process that would require the City to develop consistent standards for interim housing sites that applicants would have to meet prior to submitting their parcels or buildings for consideration.

The 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count revealed that over 41,000 people are experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles, and more than 28,000 of them are experiencing unsheltered homelessness. A recent report from the City Administrative Officer (CAO) indicates that, even with recent additions, there are only about 14,000 interim housing beds Citywide, most of which are already occupied. This means that in order to bring people indoors at scale, the City must dramatically increase the supply of interim housing and the rate at which it is made available.

“The system – or lack thereof – currently relies on private owners, the CAO, or individual council offices to identify available private land or buildings, and provides no guidance regarding  site eligibility and no clear set of criteria that must be met during site review,” said Councilmember Raman. “By creating a standardized process, we can quickly identify appropriate sites, build more housing, and build it faster in order to meet the City’s urgent need for beds to bring those experiencing unsheltered homelessness indoors.”

Raman’s motion would direct the City Administrative Officer (CAO), with assistance from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), to report back within 60 days with recommendations for creating a standardized RFP process for privately-owned parcels and buildings to be considered for development or acquisition as interim housing sites, along with options for funding the RFP. The motion additionally requests a second report with recommendations for creating a standardized site review process that would include requirements about accessibility, habitability, and other relevant standards.

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