On Neighborhood Character and California Housing Needs
From where I live in central Los Angeles, any walk or bus ride quickly becomes a housing field trip. The types of homes I see range from multistory apartment buildings to vintage bungalow courts to modern 6-plexes, often all on the same block. On many blocks, single-family dwellings are also part of the mix (although if I peek behind the front house, I frequently spot an ADU tucked into the backyard). In leafy Beachwood Canyon, across from a 1920s Spanish mansion where Charlie Chaplin once hid out, I might spy a rambling Moroccan-style apartment building constructed around the same time, only identifiable by its multiple recycling bins and mailboxes.
In these vibrant LA neighborhoods where vintage and new construction mix, as in many others across this city, the state and country, “neighborhood character” is synonymous with a variety of home sizes and a range of rental costs/purchase costs in walkable areas near schools, stores and transit. Having a diverse range of housing choice is a critical starting point for inclusive neighborhoods.
In the outlying suburban areas of the city, I see more streets where single-family homes on larger lots are the norm. In these neighborhoods, ADUs are generally the only housing options accessible to moderate- and lower-income renters. California now has the tools to diversify home types in these neighborhoods as well—by adding more ADUs, JADUs, duplexes and SB 9 lot splits. Barriers remain–and broader acceptance of smaller home options is one of these.
We’ve made progress, although the vestiges of exclusive housing policies still linger. I was struck recently by a comment to an article about a proposed housing project. It read: The question we need to ask ourselves is whether this project will fit in with the neighborhood character?
I can think of many questions I would ask first:
What can we build so that our teachers, firefighters, grocery store workers, cultural creatives and college students can afford to live near their work or school?
What would have to change so that our adult children don’t have to move out of state to find a home they can afford to purchase?
How can we provide options for our elders to downsize into smaller homes while staying in their communities?
How can our housing choices contribute to the kind of communities we all want to live in—green, walkable, connected?
What kind of housing will have the least environmental impacts and help us with our climate goals?
Do we have the variety of housing we need so that all kinds of residents can thrive in all kinds of neighborhoods? How can we get closer to that, as soon as possible?
In 2023, Casita Coalition will continue to focus on these questions and on the barriers that still exist between California residents and the kind of homes we need. And there are hopeful trends–here are just a few:
ADU production in CA continues to soar–estimates now include 2022 data and indicate we may have passed the 60,000 mark of ADUs permitted statewide.
Nonprofit and city programs are starting to use the new rules to create more housing choices for vulnerable populations. The City of Pasadena’s new program splits larger homes into duplexes, adds an ADU and a junior ADU to create homes for 4-8 people on a lot where 1-2 lived before, for just one example.
Financing is catching up to new opportunities, with more credit unions stepping into the ADU space with tailored loans that expand eligibility to more homeowners.
Cities and towns across the country are acknowledging the need for middle housing to keep their economies flourishing, and updating their zoning and other rules for more flexibility–allowing rowhouses, townhouses, cottage courts, stacked flats and more.
ADU builders are innovating with new construction types to bring costs down.
In his book Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design, Charles Montgomery puts it this way: “We can make cities that help us all get stronger, more resilient, more connected, more active and more free. We just have to decide who our cities are for. And we have to believe that they can change.”
Cities can, and do, change to better meet our needs as we evolve. And our homes can too. Stay tuned for our 2023 webinar series highlighting key small housing solutions as we continue to spotlight what’s working.
Celeste Goyer
Executive Director, Casita Coalition