Transforming Vacant Lots into Affordable Housing in Los Angeles

Los Angeles faces a significant housing crisis, characterized by a shortage of homes and high prices. Surprisingly, the city has more than 20,000 lots zoned for housing that remain undeveloped. This presents a missed opportunity, but housing experts hope to leverage these spaces to create affordable homeownership.

A new initiative, known as ‘Small Lots, Big Impacts,’ aims to demonstrate how these vacant lots can be transformed into ‘gentle density’ housing such as duplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes. These housing options promise lower prices compared to the traditional single-family homes in Los Angeles.

Historically, Los Angeles has featured small-scale, multiunit housing in architectural styles like Spanish Colonial duplexes and ‘dingbat’ complexes. However, such housing has mostly been available as rentals or high-end listings in sought-after areas. The city has one of the lowest homeownership rates in California, which lags behind the national average.

Until lately, nearly three-quarters of Los Angeles’s residential areas were exclusively zoned for single-family homes.

Recent legislation has changed zoning laws, opening more lots, including vacant ones, for the development of small-scale, multiunit complexes. These can be sold individually and offer a chance to develop affordable homes for sale, especially in neighborhoods with few mid-density buildings. Emmanuel Proussaloglou, co-director of cityLAB, emphasized the importance of affordable homeownership.

The city has struggled to meet housing demands. Downtown has experienced growth in new units, primarily large-scale and high-rise apartments. Other neighborhoods have lagged behind, often facing resistance from local resident groups. The initiative targets smaller lots that can support more density without drastically altering the neighborhood’s fabric.

CityLAB’s analysis identified over 20,000 privately-owned vacant lots suitable for development. These parcels are quarter-acre or smaller, zoned for residences, and lack current structures. While accounting for only 2% of all privately-owned parcels in the city, these lots hold potential for impact.

The ‘Small Lots, Big Impacts’ initiative has announced three designer-developer teams to create pilot versions of multiunit, affordable housing projects. Each team will construct unique housing complexes with at least five separate units on small, empty lots within the city.

Financial and regulatory support is provided by community development group Genesis L.A., including low-interest loans. Teams must list homes for sale with a portion reserved for low- or middle-income buyers. Other supporters include LA4LA, the city of Los Angeles, and BMO bank.

The initiative seeks to demonstrate feasible lower entry prices for starter homes. Dana Cuff noted this approach creates more housing units while providing attractive features like outdoor space and individuality.

Initially focused on city-owned lots, the initiative faced delays, prompting a shift to privately-owned spaces. Christian Stayner, of Stayner Architects and part of the selected pilot project teams, plans to develop a lot they own on L.A.’s Eastside. Legislative changes and cityLAB’s support provide a foundation for their plans to construct one building with six separate, individually-owned units.

The other teams plan diverse approaches, such as cooperative ownership models and prefabricated construction materials. The initiative aims to offer varied solutions for affordable housing, serving as inspiration for developers and designers. Officials expect groundbreaking for these projects before next summer.