New Poll findings to be presented to national, state and local leaders at LABC Mayoral Housing, Transportation, and Jobs Summit on May 10
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Seven in 10 Los Angeles voters find it difficult to afford housing and 60% have considered leaving the city, fearing they won’t be able to sustain rising rents or afford to buy a home, according to a new survey commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute.
The findings show that homeowners and renters of different ages, races, income levels and political views across L.A. are deeply impacted by the affordability gap and broadly support government action to accelerate the production of new homes, including those for low- and moderate-income Angelenos.
By a two-to-one margin – 61% to 32% – voters favor substantially increasing the number of housing units in L.A. Even larger majorities endorse specific local and state initiatives such as expanding Mayor Karen Bass’s Executive Directive 1 (ED 1), which fast-tracks permits for temporary shelters and affordable rental housing, for moderate-income residents, including nurses, teachers, and firefighters.
“Voters are fed up with housing costs and urgently want the government to step in to accelerate new housing production citywide,” said Mary Leslie, president of the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC). “It’s encouraging to see support coalescing around Mayor Bass’s vision to cut red tape. Expanding ED 1 will provide relief for everyone from the unhoused to middle-class Angelenos, who are the backbone of the city’s economy and key to its future viability.”
On Friday, May 10, at the 22nd Annual LABC Mayoral Housing, Transportation, and Jobs Summit, Leslie is scheduled to present the findings along with Aileen Cardona-Arroyo, PhD, a senior vice president with Hart Research, the nationally respected public opinion polling firm which conducted the survey. Mayor Bass; Neera Tanden, domestic policy advisor to President Biden; Senator Alex Padilla; and other national, state and local leaders from the public and private sectors will be in attendance.
The survey clearly reveals broad support for a range of state and local housing policy initiatives.
- 81% favor a proposal to speed up approval for new apartment buildings that include some affordable housing, as long as they are near public transit or on underutilized urban land in high density areas.
- 77% favor a proposal to guarantee approval for new apartment projects that designate 20% of the units for low-income residents.
- 73% favor a proposal to change the law to make it possible to build larger apartment buildings along major transportation corridors and in commercial areas.
“The LABC has been doing important research on the housing crisis challenges for two decades, and we’ve never seen voters as united as they are today,” said Founding Chair of the LABC Institute Richard Ziman. “I’m demanding bold action to create the necessary affordable housing for a more livable city.”
The urgency stems from an affordability gap that affects every population group and corner of L.A. Some 87% of voters surveyed identify housing affordability in Los Angeles as a “serious problem.”
Renters and younger voters face the greatest challenges affording housing, the research showed. About 84% of renters find it difficult to afford housing, compared to 46% of homeowners. A total of 73% of voters aged 18-34 have considered moving from the City due to housing costs, compared to 60% overall.
Voters support new housing despite having concerns about adding new homes and apartments. More respondents (49%) think new housing will make their neighborhoods less affordable than more affordable (40%).
“People are facing enormous economic pressures and are calling for better answers and policy solutions,” Leslie said. “It is striking to see such acute concern as well as widespread support for government action to spur housing production.”
Voters express broad and deep support for building rental housing in their neighborhood, particularly for low-income seniors, veterans, public service workers like teachers and firefighters, and low-income families with children.
Only slight majorities of voters favor proposals to allow building new apartments in neighborhoods currently zoned for single-family homes, and 56% of homeowners believe that affordable housing for low- and moderate-income renters, in particular, will lower home values.
When it comes to implementing solutions, 56% of voters say the lack of affordable housing in L.A. is so serious that the state government should assume a bigger role and require cities to build more housing or be penalized. Close to one-third say that housing decisions should be made by local authorities.
“The findings of the LABC survey underscore the need for bold policies and long-term funding sources to help address the affordable housing crisis,” said Miguel Santana, CEO of the California Community Foundation. “The findings show that housing affordability is a dominant issue that impacts residents across a broad spectrum in neighborhoods throughout the city.”
Hart Research’s survey of 600 registered L.A. voters was conducted in early April and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points. It was followed by two focus groups with L.A. voters—one group with 12 renters and one with 11 homeowners from a mix of geographic areas.
To read the full survey, visit https://labusinesscouncil.org/housing-2024/
To learn more about the LABC Mayoral Housing, Transportation and Jobs summit, visit here.
A livestream of the summit will be available Friday, May 10 starting at 7:45am here.
About the Los Angeles Business Council Institute
The LABC Institute is a forward-thinking research and education organization dedicated to strengthening the sustainable economy of California. Founded in 2010, the Institute provides a bridge between the business, government, environmental, labor and nonprofit communities of Southern California to develop policies and programs that promote investment, jobs and business development. The Institute is the research and education arm of the Los Angeles Business Council, one of the most respected business advocacy organizations in the region. Founded in 1936, the LABC is known as an innovator and catalyst for policy development on a wide range of issues, including education, housing, green building, energy efficiency, transportation and solar development. For more information, please visit labusinesscouncil.org.
Contacts
Malina Brown
(310) 974-6680
