From the desk of Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director of Government & Public Affairs

AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE CHIP

In late July, AIA Los Angeles (AIA|LA) along with a coalition including Central City Association, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Housing Action Coalition, BIA Southern California, YIMBY Action, and Craig Lawson & Co, LLC shared a letter with Los Angeles City Planning with specific ideas and recommendations for how to improve the recently proposed draft of the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP).

To read the letter, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

As you may recall, back in mid-May AIA|LA organized a roundtable at City Hall with LACP about the CHIP program and that meeting served as a forum to share early input.  I also shared my initial concerns about the proposed CHIP program in my May 28th advocacy report.  CHIP is meant to be an opportunity for the City of Los Angeles to meet the goals of its Plan to House LA initiative and we have a legal mandate from the State of California to identify a rezoning pathway to provide an additional 486,379 units of housing (our RHNA target).  But as currently written, CHIP is largely a step in the reverse direction and may actually hurt (not help) our collective ability to deliver more housing to Angelenos.

Summary of the Coalition Letter:
+ Coalition’s Purpose: To advocate for increased housing production in LA to address severe housing shortages.
+ CHIP Program: The coalition generally critiques the proposed Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) for being too restrictive.
+ Geographic Scope: CHIP excludes single-family zones, therefore excluding nearly 75% of LA’s land area.
+ Affordability Requirements: Recommends retaining current TOC affordability levels to maintain financial feasibility.
+ Parking Concerns: It opposes counting above-ground parking towards the Floor Area Ratio (FAR).  *And below-ground parking has a high impact on embodied carbon
+ FAR Incentives: Suggests increasing FAR incentives to support mixed-income housing.
+ Ministerial Procedures: Advocates for streamlined approval processes and minimizing discretionary reviews.
+ Appeals Limitation: Recommends limiting appeals to reduce project delays.
+ Incentive System Critique: Calls for eliminating the tiered incentive system which penalizes projects that cannot meet additional requirements.
+ Environmental Considerations: This letter opposes the broad definition of “Environmental consideration areas” in CHIP.
+ Rezoned Areas: Urges allowing CHIP to apply in newly rezoned areas.

Call to Action & Next Steps:
+ Advocate for Revisions: Engage with the Department of City Planning to push for the recommended changes to CHIP.
+ Community Outreach: Mobilize stakeholders in both multifamily and single-family zones to support expanded housing production.
+ Policy Discussions: Initiate debates on single-family zoning exclusion and advocate for pilot programs to include “missing middle” housing.
+ Engage City Officials: Meet with city officials to discuss limiting appeals and streamlining ministerial procedures.
+ Raise Awareness: Launch a campaign to educate the public and policymakers on the importance of FAR incentives and ministerial approvals.
+ Prepare for Public Hearings: Organize testimony for upcoming public hearings or council meetings on CHIP to support the coalition’s position.
+ Develop Partnerships: Partner with organizations and experts to refine and strengthen proposals to amend CHIP.

If you have any questions, concerns, or specific recommendations on how to improve the proposed Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP), please reach out to me directly at will[@]aialosangeles.org and share your thoughts.

AIA Los Angeles needs to hear from more architects on how CHIP can help you achieve more optimal outcomes for your housing projects.

AIA|LA & LACP DESIGN REVIEW SESSIONS

In 2024, we will coordinate thirty-six virtual design review sessions, which will serve as opportunities for architects and designers to help the Los Angeles City Planning’s Urban Design Studio critically review upcoming projects throughout the City.

Upcoming sessions include:

Tuesday, August 13 (10am – 12pm)

Tuesday, August 20 (10am – 12pm)

Tuesday, September 3 (10am – 12pm)

Tuesday, September 10 (10am – 12pm)

Join us here w/ RSVP to gain zoom access.

Reach out and get more involved!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director, Government & Public Affairs
t: 213.639.0764
e: will@aialosangeles.org
www.aialosangeles.org