Rebuilding Palisades with More Affordable Housing Faces Resistance
A Developer’s Vision for the Future
On the ashes of his family’s Shell gas station along Pacific Palisades’ main commercial corridor, Justin Kohanoff envisions one of the grandest apartment buildings in the neighborhood’s history. A Cape Cod style white-brick facade with awnings and a metal roof. Eight stories tall. And as many as 100 apartments, including some reserved for low-income residents.
“It’s gonna be beautiful,” Kohanoff said. “I can’t wait until it breaks ground and comes to fruition.”
A Community Divided
Before the fire, the average home in Pacific Palisades cost $3.5 million, the median household earned $325,000, and the total number of rental units restricted as affordable housing was two. Some residents hope for even more exclusivity after the fires. One went so far as to propose in a community text message chain that a rebuilt Palisades should employ drones to track unfamiliar cars.
Loss of Affordable Housing
The Palisades lost more than 1,300 multifamily units and mobile homes in the disaster. Of those, 770 were in older buildings covered by the city’s rent control laws, and offered a modicum of affordability for longtime tenants that’s now disappeared.
Resistance to Low-Income Housing
Palisades homeowners and leaders of rebuilding efforts have expressed opposition, at times crudely, about the prospect of adding low-income housing. Even rebuilding the apartments that were there face challenges. Landlords expect to struggle through a morass of bureaucracy to bring back their buildings, and confusion over possible income or rent restrictions only adds to the unpredictability.
A Professor’s Warning
The combination of the resistance to low-income housing and destruction of rent-controlled apartments could spell the end of whatever income diversity existed in the Palisades prior to the fires, said Anthony Orlando, an associate professor at Cal Poly Pomona. His research has found natural disasters lead to higher rents for years.
“If you want people to live there who are not able to afford million-dollar or more properties, you have to have some sort of rent restriction in place,” Orlando said.
Community Voices
Guy Horton, a 56-year-old who worked as a strategist and researcher for a communications company, is one of the many who lost his home in the fire. He and his wife rented a two-bedroom townhome on Sunset Boulevard for $2,800 a month. “It’s the only home they’ve ever known,” Horton said.
“It’s this myth that renters were more nomadic,” Horton said. “Once you get a cheap apartment, you hold onto it for dear life.”
A Mayor’s Take
Mayor Karen Bass has handled the affordable housing question delicately. “Nothing is going to be done to the Palisades,” Bass said when asked about rezoning on a walking tour of the neighborhood’s destruction in January. “What will happen will be done with the people.” A mayoral spokesperson reiterated to The Times that Bass is listening to community feedback on the issue.
A Political Divide
Political and community leaders have handled the affordable housing question delicately. “We’re not rethinking,” Soboroff, the recovery czar, said. “We’re rebuilding.” He’s encouraging commercial property owners to restore their buildings as they were before to take advantage of streamlined permitting rules, but also to build in ways that allow mixed-use apartments later.
Conclusion
The question of affordable housing in the Palisades is a contentious one, with some residents and leaders opposing the idea of adding low-income housing. However, experts warn that without some sort of rent restriction in place, the community may lose its existing income diversity. As the rebuilding process continues, it remains to be seen whether the Palisades will be able to strike a balance between preserving its exclusivity and providing affordable housing options for all.
Frequently Asked Questions
* What is the current average home price in Pacific Palisades?
The average home price in Pacific Palisades is $3.5 million.
* What is the median household income in Pacific Palisades?
The median household income in Pacific Palisades is $325,000.
* How many rental units were destroyed in the fire?
The Palisades lost more than 1,300 multifamily units and mobile homes in the disaster.
* What is the current opposition to low-income housing in the Palisades?
Palisades homeowners and leaders of rebuilding efforts have expressed opposition, at times crudely, about the prospect of adding low-income housing.
* What is the current situation with rent control in the Palisades?
The Palisades lost more than 770 rent-controlled apartments in the fire, and it is unclear whether these apartments will be rebuilt with rent control restrictions in place.
