PICO-UNION : Council Seeks to Scrap Lottery for Housing

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday derailed a plan by the Community Redevelopment Agency to open up a housing development in the Pico-Union district to residents citywide after Councilman Mike Hernandez argued that those in the congested neighborhood ought to get first priority.

When the 32-unit Crescent Court Town Home project was proposed a decade ago, neighboring residents were told they would be at the top of the list to apply for the new units. But since then, the city adopted a policy that calls for a citywide lottery for such public housing developments to ensure diverse ethnic representation.

Hernandez argued that the city was backing out of a promise it made years ago to residents, mostly Latino. He said the population density in Pico-Union is 147 people per acre, 10 times the city average. The council directed city officials to find a way to give nearby residents a first chance at the units without putting the city in legal jeopardy.