In a meeting on July 11, the Planning Commission reviewed recent changes to the affordable housing guidelines. The commission held a study session to give feedback on the revisions and to discuss how the changes would impact those applying for and developing affordable housing. The changes will affect the occupancy priority list, which determines who is eligible and who is given priority to receive an affordable housing unit.
The current affordable housing guidelines were adopted by the city in 2016 in accordance with the Housing Crisis Act, the state density bonus, and Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. They include guidelines on how to apply for affordable housing and a priority list for those who meet the requirements. At the meeting, Associate Planner Christine Delostrinos presented a review of the 2023 affordable housing program. As she explained, the city’s contracted affordable housing consultant, HouseKeys, was assigned to review the guidelines and the commission was asked to consider the group’s recommendations. In the current plan, the city plans to provide units for 52 households, 45 of which will be for those who fall under the very-low-income limit. However, only eight of the 52 rentals are existing units. 15 of the units have been approved for entitlement and 29 are still under review. “The city anticipates continued growth of affordable housing units due to state housing law,” said Delostrinos.
Changes to the affordable housing guidelines outline rules for developers who plan to construct these units. This includes a list of design standards that requires new affordable housing units to be comparable to market-rate units. For those who apply for affordable housing, the credit score and background check guidelines have been revised to comply with SB 267—which was approved by Governor Newsom on Oct. 11, 2023— and deny convicted felons. The guidelines for rent increases, pet fees and deposits, parking fees, renter’s insurance, utility allowances and security deposit protocols have also been revised.
For those who have applied or are planning to apply, the commission made amendments to the occupancy priority list, which has not been revised since 2019. At the meeting, the commission held a study session to discuss whether the current list meets the city’s goals to provide housing for diverse populations. They also suggested defining displacement within the guidelines to be clearer on which households qualify. As Renters Alliance Founder Mark Elliot explained during public comment, a clear definition is important because many of the applicants don’t understand their rights. “I urge you to recommend expanding the definition of displacement to include voluntary vacancy, pursuant to a buyout, or tenants who vacate voluntarily, for less than voluntary reasons,” he said. This would include units with habitability deficiencies and hazardous conditions, including water leaks, peeling paint and visible mold. He also urged the commission to consider prioritizing affordable housing for households displaced by a fire. The commissioners all agreed to revise the definition of displacement to include these vacancies.
During the discussion, Demeter expressed concerns about some of the city’s largest demographics eligible for affordable housing. As she explained, many of the applicants are non-native English speakers or are elderly citizens, who may struggle to complete the lengthy application process on their own. “I think we have to be really careful in that respect,” said Demeter, who suggested a translation service for those who don’t speak English fluently. For applicants who require individualized guidance throughout the process, HouseKeys has an outreach program that can help. “A part of HouseKeys’ process is doing some community outreach,” said Delostrinos. “When there is a unit available, they’re going to conduct community outreach in collaboration with the developer or the property manager and from there that would be a great opportunity for potential applicants to speak with HouseKeys and see what the options are if they need help or assistance.”
When it comes to prioritization, Beverly Hills prioritizes households of senior citizens more than other cities in the Los Angeles area. Currently, every placement in the city’s affordable housing units is a senior. “I think generally the priority occupancy lists are usually developed to prioritize households where the city sees there’s a specific need for housing for that type of household,” said Senior Planner Chloe Chen, adding that this played a role in developing the current priority list in 2019. “We do recognize that there is a larger senior population within the city, and we’d like to provide that option.”
The city also prioritizes households with students in the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD), if the student is in 10th grade or below. Because it can take several years to receive housing, a student above 10th grade may no longer be attending a BHUSD school by the time the family is approved for or granted affordable housing, as Vice Chair Jeff Wolfe explained. The commission agreed to keep these households on the priority list, which they condensed to be clearer for applicants. All their recommendations will be shared at the next City Council meeting for approval.
Later at the meeting, the commission reviewed a request for a permit for the construction of a five-story, nine-unit multi-family residential apartment building on 232 South Doheny Drive. The construction would replace an existing single-family home and include eight market-rate units plus one affordable unit for a very-low-income household. However, despite the addition of an affordable housing unit, residents expressed concerns over changes to their neighborhood. A letter from Sami and Lauren Ibrahim described concerns about less available street parking and an increase in trash left in alleyways. However, real estate lawyer Murray Fischer reassured the commission that the developers have taken waste management into consideration and their intention with this project is to improve quality of life in the neighborhood.
The commissioners were not concerned about the developers’ ability to ensure proper waste management and parking. After some negotiation about details of the proposed building, including the layout of certain balconies, the request for a permit to begin construction with a 50% density bonus permit was unanimously approved among the three commissioners in attendance, Demeter, Vice Chair Jeff Wolfe and Chair Terri Kaplan. Commissioners Gary Ross and Lou Milkowski were not present at the meeting.
“We did hear the residents who wrote us. And we do know that there are changes,” said Demeter. “And with the times, and with the different regulations that we have to follow coming from the state, we have certain flexibility—very, very, very little—but we do try to understand.”
