Los Angeles and Orange County continue to be a thriving region, but within it lies a few cracks. One of the most devastating ones is the lack of affordable housing. Everyone wants to be in LA or OC, and that means property owners can raise housing costs. The cost of living has continued to climb for a long time, putting too much pressure on the working class. The following are a few ways the affordable housing crisis in LA has been addressed.
Voice of the People
One way the people of LA and OC are addressing this issue is with their voice. If a problem isn’t discussed in the media or spoken about within communities, then that problem doesn’t even exist. It’s not unlike the awareness that led to the implementation of better mass transit options throughout the region. People in LA don’t want this to happen, so a lot of them are forming protests and sharing horror stores through social media platforms to try to bring attention to this serious crisis that threatens the livelihoods of many hard-working people. These people are just working towards their piece of the pie.
Through Zoning Law Changes
Another thing some residents in Los Angeles and Orange County are attempting to do is address this problem by changing zoning laws. The zoning laws in LA and OC, like many other cities around the United States, are quite strict. If a particular building was designated to be a place of business, then that’s what it must be, and it cannot be used as something else. Some people are trying to change that. When manufacturers in LA shift to maquiladoras in Mexico and factories overseas, they often leave behind vacant facilities. Those buildings can be bulldozed to make way for low-income housing.
Through Legislation
Other people are trying to change things through legislation. Not long ago, LA altered the law to allow more people to build granny houses on single-family lots. This was good because it was tough to build something like this before. Since the law changed, more people are doing it and are giving family members and even strangers a chance to stay in a relatively cheap place, especially compared to some of the regular apartments in LA.
Architects With Hearts
Architects in LA and OC and elsewhere are seeing the problem and are offering different housing designs to solve the crisis. While building some of their ideas will take some work, it’ll alleviate the housing problem if city leaders take notice. Some of their designs offer a communal-like living situation. This is a high-rise apartment designed with a series of interconnected stairs. Other architects offer mobile home solutions like the suitcase house to provide mobility to LA’s growing nomadic culture.
National Housing Guarantee Movement
LA is one of many places that’s dealing with a housing crisis. Rural America and other large cities are dealing with this as well. Without proper housing, Americans can’t think of anything else but where they will be living next. This stifles growth, spirit, and much more. This could be the reason more Americans are starting to demand a housing guarantee from their government. In essence, the public will be allowed to stay in dwellings that are much more affordable than regular apartments. They’ll be community-focused and non-profit, but who knows if Americans can ever enjoy something like this?
The housing shortage problem extends beyond LA and OC to include much of Northern and Southern California. It seems that some people are trying to address this issue, and maybe interest will be enough to get things going.
