The Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

Los Angeles faces one of the most severe housing affordability crises in the United States, driven in-part by restrictive zoning and land use controls, high construction costs, and design-related expenses. Ward’s “The High Cost of Producing Multifamily Housing in California” determines that architectural and engineering fees in Los Angeles are significantly higher than in comparable California jurisdictions, with prescriptive design requirements cited as a contributing factor. This project seeks to evaluate the role of Los Angeles Housing Department’s (LAHD) Architectural Design Guidelines on the cost and feasibility of affordable housing development. This project investigates why design-related costs appear to be higher for affordable housing developments in the City of Los Angeles than for comparable projects in neighboring cities, and whether the Design Guidelines may contribute to those differences. Through stakeholder interviews, cost analysis, and comparative review of housing funding programs, the project aims to address the following question: What factors are contributing to higher soft costs for affordable housing development in the City of Los Angeles, and to what extent do LAHD’s Design Guidelines contribute to those cost increases?