LA Affordable Housing Units Continue to Plunge to Fewer Projects

The share of Los Angeles apartment projects that include affordable housing units dropped sharply in 2023, falling to 41 percent of all new developments, according to a report from The Real Deal.

The analysis of city-approved permits for buildings with 10 or more units shows that the proportion of projects with low-income housing components continues to trend downward, despite a rise in total approvals.

In 2020, 58 percent of approved projects included affordable housing units, a figure that climbed to 63 percent in 2021 before slipping to 50 percent in 2022.

By 2023, the percentage dropped again to 41 percent, even though 67 such projects were approved—the highest annual total since 2020.

The numbers indicate that, despite a rebound in total project approvals, the share of developments reserving units for low-income residents has clearly declined compared with pandemic-era levels.

The first half of 2025 suggests the slide is continuing. Of 22 apartment projects approved by the city so far this year, only 34 percent included affordable housing units, raising concerns about whether the rebound seen in 2022 can be sustained.

Permit applications also reflect the same trend. In 2022, 57 percent of submitted projects—68 total—included plans for low-income units. That figure fell to 43 percent (40 projects) in 2023 and dropped again to 21 percent in 2024, with just 13 of 63 applications including affordable housing.

For the first six months of 2025, only three of 16 projects—just 19 percent—proposed low-income units.

While Los Angeles faces mounting challenges in producing affordable housing, some projects remain dedicated entirely to this goal.

In Burbank, the planned Harmony Senior Apartments at 11410 W. Burbank Boulevard will offer 83 units exclusively for low-income seniors.

At the state level, Governor Gavin Newsom recently directed the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to allocate $101 million to build housing for low-income residents in wildfire-affected areas.

The California legislature is also considering the creation of a state housing agency to coordinate financing programs and streamline efforts to address the state’s housing crisis.

BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsiK@koreadaily.com]