City Forms Department for Affordable Housing

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously approved the establishment of a new Housing Preservation and Production Department to help cope with the city’s housing affordability crisis.

The new department, which will be advised by an Affordable Housing Commission appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley and City Council President John Ferraro, is expected to cost $10.8 million next year.

The money is to come from federal grants and landlord fees and will not require cutbacks in other programs, officials said.

Most of the staff will be transferred from the housing division of the Community Development Department, which has been the subject of complaints by Bradley and other city officials for poor administration of housing programs.