One of the major barriers to the construction of affordable housing in a timely manner is the need to develop plans that meet all the necessary code and zoning requirements. Applicants ranging from single-family homeowners to affordable housing developers all must undergo extensive review in order to ensure that all projects meet applicable zoning and building code requirements. While these reviews are essential to constructing housing that is safe, the design and review process can add months or years to a project and increase project costs substantially.

 

In order to reduce the time it takes to construct housing, while at the same time ensuring that it is constructed to zoning and building codes, the city should create pre-approved standard plans for the most frequent building types and make them free to the public for the purposes of reducing project costs and accelerating housing construction. 

 

I THEREFORE MOVE that the Bureau of Engineering, in coordination with the Department of Building and Safety, Housing and Community Investment Department, and the Department of City Planning, be instructed to develop a limited set of standard plans for modular multi-family homeless and affordable housing, bungalow courts, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUS). 

 

I FURTHER MOVE that these standard plans should cover all required disciplines including but not limited to architectural, structural, grading, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing. 

 

I FURTHER MOVE that the Bureau of Engineering be instructed to issue a Task Order of Solicitation to their on-call Architectural Design Services list to provide said standard plans within 30 days and that the Bureau of Engineering also undertake a public engagement process to solicit feedback from stakeholders on architectural design elements that conform to the variety of architectural styles in the City of Los Angeles. 

 

I FURTHER MOVE that upon the certification by the Department of Building and Safety and Department of City Planning that these plans meet all relevant building and zoning codes, they shall be deemed standard plans applicable for use in the respective zones and parcels, or less restrictive zones and parcels, and shall be posted on the website of the Department of Building and Safety and made available to the public at no charge. 

​

I FURTHER MOVE that the City Administrative Officer be instructed to identify the necessary funding for these plans from the CDBG-CV Round 2 or HHAP Round 2 funds the city is set to receive.