to the editor: Guest contributor Jesse Zwick says Los Angeles officials won't commit to more housing (“Los Angeles is sabotaging itself in terms of housing” January 27). In fact, the city worked closely with the community and has already submitted a reflective plan with enough housing to satisfy California state law.
Zwick, however, is in favor of SB 79. This unique bill eliminates local zoning. Instead of adding density to existing corridors with adequate capacity to meet the need, SB 79 crams huge apartments into single-family, low-density zones throughout the city. It targets all neighborhoods within a half-mile radius of existing and “future” transit stops, stops that can be designated at will.
SB 79 does very little for affordable housing and nothing at all to improve water, energy, roads and emergency services.
Advocates say developers won't actually use all of the rights in SB 79. Maybe so, but let's not hand them a big check and then pray they don't cash it.
Danielle Peters and Shelley Wagers, Los Angeles
These writers are officers of the Beverly Grove Neighborhood Association, a nonprofit community advocacy organization.
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to the editor: One of the reasons we have a housing shortage is that people who have average incomes and money to invest cannot buy or build small two- to six-unit apartment buildings, as they did between the 1950s and 1980s. They put their retirement money in stocks because that's how 401(k)s and IRAs are designed.
Large funds are buying most of the small residential units and even individual homes. These must be limited to individuals or no more than six owners for apartments of six units or less. It may not solve the problem, but it would help.
Edward Gilbert, Studio City
