Should LAUSD Property be Used for Affordable Housing?

– Assembly Bill 3308 which is Chapter 199 of “An act to amend Sections 53571, 53572, and 53574 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to housing.” This is the link to that Board agenda: 

"7. Board of Education Report No. 105 – 20/21 Facilities Services Division (Employee Housing Initiative) Recommends authorization for District staff to solicit and consider proposals for employee workforce housing at 10 specified sites, to seek to exchange properties for similar purposes, and to engage in all reasonable activities to execute the objectives." 

This is the link to the new State law: “AB 3308, Gabriel. School districts: employee housing.” 

I believe that the original intent of this legislation was to create affordable housing for new teachers and school employees who simply can’t afford the rent that it costs to live in California. But the language of this bill was amended over its various hearings. 

“AB 3308, Gabriel. School districts: employee housing. 

The Teacher Housing Act of 2016 authorizes a school district to establish and maintain programs, as provided, that address the housing needs of teachers and school district employees who face challenges in securing affordable housing and requires a program established by the act to be restricted to teachers and school district employees. The act creates a state policy supporting housing for teachers and school employees, as provided, and permits school districts and developers in receipt of local or state funds or tax credits designated for affordable rental housing to restrict occupancy to teachers and school district employees on land owned by school districts. 

This bill would specify that the state policy created by the act includes permitting school districts to restrict occupancy on land owned by school districts to teachers and school district employees of the school district that owns the land, including permitting school districts and developers in receipt of tax credits designated for affordable rental housing to retain the right to prioritize and restrict occupancy on land owned by school districts to teachers and school district employees of the school district that owns the land, so long as that housing does not violate any other applicable laws. The bill would specify that a school district may allow local public employees or other members of the public to occupy housing created through the act, and would provide that the school district retains the right to prioritize school district employees over local public employees or other members of the public to occupy housing.” 

Two issues – Applicable laws and “Members of the public” Applicable laws – City of Los Angeles Community Plans 

The City of Los Angeles has been working on updating its Community Plans. As someone who lives in West Hills, and as a former West Hills Neighborhood Council Board member, I am familiar with its community plan system. West Hills is actually divided into two community plans; but for this article, the area that I am referencing  is currently called the Canoga Park – Winnetka - Woodland Hills - West Hills Community Plan:   

The Los Angeles City Planning Department has been working for about two years with Neighborhood Councils and interested stakeholders in regard to the proposed updates to their community plans.

This is the link to the map for the above-named community plan:

Screen Shot of the Canoga Park – Winnetka – Woodland Hills – West Hills Community Plan Map

This is a link to an interactive updated version of this map. 

According to this map, the locations of proposed housing on LAUSD property in West Hills and Woodland Hills would be in neighborhoods that are designated as Low or Very Low in the General Plan use from my understanding. 

Yet, on the agenda, according to an email received by a local resident from a member of LAUSD staff, and forwarded to me by that potentially impacted resident, these are the schools to be considered for “Affordable Housing.” 

The Properties considered in the Initiative are:  

Highlander School is in West Hills – Scott Schmerelson’s District- District 3: this is the District 3 map.  

Collins Street School and Oso Street School are in Woodland Hills; these schools are in Nick Melvoin’s District – District 5. That school district map is here.   

Members of the Public: 

I absolutely understand and support the need for Affordable Housing. But this action by our State Elected Officials, in my opinion, may bypass CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) by allowing the school districts to build this housing on what is essentially State owned and controlled property. 

I mention these three properties only because they are on the agenda for this week. A fourth property on Shoup Avenue in Woodland Hills is also a vacant LAUSD vacant site. And there are other vacant school sites in the area. 

Affordable Housing: 

What is affordable housing really?  What has been created, for example, for our homeless with our tax dollars under Measure H and HHH dollars turns out to exceed about $600,000 for just one facility? 

Within our Canoga Park – Winnetka – Woodland Hills – West Hills  Community Plan, we have a Specific Plan – the Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan.  

This is the link to the Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan map. 

This is a screen shot of the map of the Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan area.

What I do not understand is why the State is intervening with the school sites when Councilmember Bob Blumenfield had, to the best of my understanding from statements made at a Community Plan meeting, requested that the Department of City Planning look into creating affordable housing in Warner Center just for this purpose. This is the Council file on that issue: 

Council File: 13-0197-S9:    

Title

Warner Center 2035 Plan (WC 2035 Plan) / Affordability Requirements / Moderate and Workforce Housing / Affordable Housing Linkage Fee 

This is the Motion by Councilmember Blumenfield: 

“Affordable housing has become an immediate and high priority for the City, and in California as a whole. The WC 2035 Plan is silent on the need for affordable housing, and that needs to be urgently rectified. Though the recent adoption of the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee will help address this globally in the City, more locally tailored options and incentives should be pursued. 

It also provides an opportunity to be creative in addressing different affordable housing needs since it is a Specific Plan. Solutions for the housing shortage can also help us meet our need for more housing options for the “Missing Middle,” and provide more opportunities for our teachers, nurses, and first responders. 

I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council instruct the Planning Department, and the Housing and Community Investment Department, in consultation with the City Attorney, to report on the feasibility and options for including affordability requirements, including moderate and workforce housing, within the Warner Center 2035 Plan; and how to integrate and balance these new incentives and requirements with the recently adopted Affordable Housing Linkage Fee ordinance (Council File No. 17-0274). 

I FURTHER MOVE that Council instruct the Planning Department to complete a comprehensive review of the development incentives within the Warner Center 2035 Plan to identify opportunities to create strong incentives for affordable housing at all income levels.” 

Considerations for the future use of LAUSD school properties: 

• Do you think that we should allow affordable housing to be built on LAUSD school properties when these school sites will be needed for future students who will live in the Warner Center area for example? This area, I believe, is expected to have more than 60,000 new residents based on the Warner Center Specific Plan. 

• Do you think that future LAUSD school students should be bused to other neighborhood schools, or do the Board members expect the parents of each child to drive them to a more distant school? 

• At a Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization meeting that I attended, I believe in 2019, School Board member Scott Schmerelson stated, to the best of my memory, that he had spoken to the appropriate staff regarding the future of the vacant school sites. I believe what he stated is that it is cheaper for the LAUSD to build a second story on local elementary school sites than to build a new school on the vacant properties. In this discussion, I believe he stated that the schools that would most likely get a second story would be schools in his district such as Hamlin Street School and Welby Way. Do the residents of those communities want a second story built on those school properties? 

Action alert:

If you want to take action in regards to proposals for the use of LAUSD school sites for affordable housing for teachers, school district staff, City, County, State, and other employees, or just affordable housing for families with kids, and others, please contact the LAUSD by the following methods: 

“To comment on any of the items addressed at this virtual BOE meeting, you may  

• Email all Board members at [email protected]or 

• Use the regular US Mail address or  

• Leave a phone message at 213-241-6389 or  

• Fax to 213-241-8953. 

Items received by noon Monday, November 9th will be distributed to all Board members.” 

“In the meantime, should you have any questions or concerns please let me know at my direct line 213 241-1326 or email [email protected]  

Teresa Akins, Community Outreach Organizer 

Facilities Services Division | Community Relations Department 

213 241-1326 |    [email protected]”   

This information was provided to known LAUSD interested stakeholders on November 7, 2020. 

To watch the LAUSD Board Meetings Live by computer, please use the above link.

(Chris Rowe, a former health care employee who has worked at Northridge Hospital, Tarzana Medical Center, and West Hills Hospital has a B.S. in Health Education. She is a 42-year resident of West Hills. She has written for the Los Angeles Daily News, RonKayeLA.org; OurLA.org; and CityWatch. She has a blog on the USC/ Annenberg Center for Health Journalism website and can be reached at [email protected]) AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes. Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.