KTLA News: "Addressing the housing crisis in Los Angeles" (1980)

[KTLA Reporter] Housing construction sites like this, are rare in Los Angeles. Added to that dilemma, is the vacancy rate for apartment dwellers. [Reporter] Less than one percent. Putting the city in the grips of a major housing crisis. [Reporter] In an attempt to find ways to spur construction of low and moderate income home and apartments, [Reporter] Mayor Bradley composed an ad hoc committee on housing. [Reporter] Their findings released today, were not optimistic. [Reporter] Chairman, J. Howard Edgerton, says the moderate income housing of the future will be more living units of smaller size on less space. [Reporter] If it's to happen at all. [J. Howard Edgerton] The housing units are, probably going to have to be, ah, smaller. Ah, the, ah, twenty five hundred, ah, square foot house on a half acre of land with two large automobiles sitting in the garage is no longer a, realistic American dream. At the cost of everything and the problems of inflation, ah, makes that, ah, practically impossible for any other than the, than the, ah, very, ah, wealthy families. [No audio] [Edgerton] twelve or fourteen. We recommended many zoning changes for example. [Edgerton] We've recommended that the single family lots of six thousand square feet, should be modified. [KTLA Reporter] A great deal of debate is still to come at City Hall before any type of a low or moderate income housing plan can ever get off the ground. [Reporter] Committee Chairman Edgerton says that compromise and sacrifice are essential, between city regulators, homeowner groups and environmentalists. [Reporter] If that doesn't happen, both mayor Bradley and his committee fear, [Reporter] that moderate income housing in this city may never really get off the ground [Reporter] Charlie Sproud ? for News at Ten. [Construction noise, hammering] [Voices, hammering] [Hammering] [Hammering] [Reporter] Edgerton says for a housing plan to come together home builders will need incentives. [Reporter] And the committee strongly favors lifting rent controls on all new housing. [Reporter] Mayor Bradley agrees the controversial issue will again need to be addressed. [Mayor Tom Bradley] Smaller may not necessarily be better, but smaller, [Bradley] certainly is going to be the direction in which we must go, if we expect to, ah, build more housing for low and moderate income families. [Bradley over Reporter] That's the essence of what is said in this report in a variety of ways. I don't have any doubt whatsoever about the, reduction of processing time. We've already cut the time for, ah, permit processing from eighteen months to about nine months. I think we can do better. And we will. I'm very pleased that the ad hoc committee on housing, has completed its preliminary work. They understand they'll be called back for, follow-up report for, checking on the progress of their recommendations. But they've done an outstanding job, of listening to people, of exploring the many facets of the problem, [Camera noise] families. And I'm [?] action, either, implementing the recommendations, or referring them to the City Council for their legislative action. I want to express my appreciation to the members of this committee, [Camera noise] the state or the nation at this time. And, ah, it is my hope that, ah, the work that they have put into this effort will pay off in huge dividends as we move toward implementation of their recommendations. I'm pleased now to call on the, [Camera noise] [Edgerton] The size of Los Angeles and a vacancy ratio of less than one per cent. That's an extremely serious and extremely unusual, ah, situation. Our committee, feels basically, that in housing, ah, like perhaps with automobiles, one thing, we will all have to learn to do is, perhaps, live with less. Ah. In using land for example, with it's incredibly high cost. Ah, the only way that you can reduce the cost of land per unit of housing is obviously to have higher density. And throughout our report, ah, we have emphasized necessity of changes in some of our zoning, ordinances and some of the regulations and the housing agencies, ah, with respect to the use of land so that we can have, ah, a higher density in order to alleviate this housing shortage and the, [Edgerton] ah, city planners, [Edgerton] and the, [Camera noise] learn and to compromise, ah, with respect to some of the, ah, [Camera noise] [No audio] [Camera noise] [Edgerton] There are, ah, as I have already mentioned to allow one more unit, not in excess of eight hundred square feet on it. And we think that would create a lot, a great many immediate, ah, housing units, ah, to be built. We've made a lot of recommendations with respect to using commercial areas, ah, for, ah, residential housing for example. And in a lot of these small, ah, shopping centers and whatnot. There could be living units built. We, the parking is there. Ah, living units could be built, ah, over the, ah, shops. And, ah, under current zoning ordinances that in most cases, ah, is, ah, not allowed. But, ah, we feel that a great many residential units could be created if we use some of our, commercial areas. Ah, we feel that the, [Camera noise] [Bradley] it's not a matter of whether I am now supporting or will support. I think it's appropriate that they all be referred to the, various departments involved and get their reaction before, making any recommendation to the City Council or putting them into effect by an executive directive. So I'm not going to make a prejudgment about them. Ah, I want to give adequate opportunity for the departments to respond to them. [Reporter] Well, from what I understand, you have, [Camera noise] ah, clear to me based upon all of the evidence I've seen in the last couple of years. I would say that the, ah, [Edgerton] efficient use of land, getting more units, ah, on the land, obviously at a lower cost because of the higher density. That, and, utilizing smaller units, thereby reducing the final, ah, cost to the consumer. Those two items, ah, together. I, my personal opinion, ah, are the most important in the report. [Reporter, partly unintelligible] [?] do you think [?] [Edgerton] They have some protection from the standpoint of rent control on their units until they get their, [Edgerton] ah, investment, [Camera noise] [Bradley] desire or ability of developers to produce, the apartments, the units. I've had some reports from building and safety to try to, indicate to me whether or not that's true. Reports I've seen thus far have not, [Reporter coughing off camera] given that that indication of a significant shift in the number of applications for permits. But I do believe that a lot of people believe that there is a danger, that their investments may be endangered, by, ah, later adoption of rent regulations with regard to newly constructed apartment units. And, for that reason I am supportive of the idea of some charter amendment, that would go beyond the simple adoption of an ordinance, providing that kind of protection. The limits, the precise language, is something that we have not yet refined. But I think that it is a practical approach, one that I think has merit. [Reporter, partly unintelligible] [?] the reporters mentioned that we need, I guess, [Chairs scraping on floor, footsteps] [Bradley] While the committee is getting seated, let me explain the format that we'd like to use. I will make a very brief, [Bradley] ah, to elaborate on what Howard has reported may do so. And after those, [Camera noise] [Bradley] Everybody ready? [Hammering] [Hammering] [Unidentified voice, over hammering] We'll be on the news tonight, huh? [Hammering] is that today their recommendations which have been submitted to me and will be reported by the Chairman. Will be referred to the various city departments. Ah, the Planning Department, Building and Safety. The city attorney. All of whom will report to me by, August first, their reactions to these recommendations. And depending upon their reactions we will,