Brief

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced an ordinance on September 16, 2026, to simplify and accelerate the processing timeline for new-construction condominium and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) condominium projects. The motion, seconded by Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Imelda Padilla, aims to reduce regulatory barriers and speed housing approval. It is currently pending review in the Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

Full summary

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced this motion to address what she describes as a homeownership affordability crisis that has put for-sale housing out of reach for working- and middle-income Angelenos, including teachers, nurses, transit workers, and city employees. The motion argues that condominiums, townhomes, and small-lot subdivisions are the most accessible pathways to homeownership, but that developers are deterred from building them because the City's map review process subjects otherwise by-right projects to full discretionary review, adding time, cost, and risk. State-level reform efforts — specifically Assembly Bills 1903 and 1406 — that were expected to boost condo construction both failed, leaving the burden on the City to act. The motion directs the Department of City Planning, with assistance from the Department of Building and Safety and the Bureau of Engineering, to draft an ordinance within 30 days that uses the City's authority under California Government Code Section 66428(b) to waive subdivision map requirements for eligible new-construction condominium and ADU condominium projects. The ordinance is instructed to address three main areas: an administrative procedure for waiving parcel, tentative, and final map requirements while still meeting the statutory findings required by state law; elimination of duplicative review steps — such as redundant zoning, utility, or building permit reviews — that currently exist across separate condominium and subdivision processes, while preserving health, safety, and infrastructure standards; and better coordination among subdivision, condominium-plan, building-permit, and Certificate of Occupancy processes to reduce delays. The motion also cites research from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation suggesting that small-lot townhomes are roughly 42 percent cheaper than adjacent single-family homes, and that subdividing lots into separately owned units could expand the City's property tax base by $500 million to $7.5 billion over 20 years — framing the reform as a fiscal benefit to the City as well as a housing affordability measure. The file was referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee on the day it was introduced and remains pending there. No committee hearings or further actions have been recorded. The file expires in September 2028.

Activity (1)

• 2026-09-16 Motion referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

Documents (1)

• 2026-09-16 Motion · motion