Housing Imbalance in Playa Vista Project

Re “Panel OKs Phase 2 of Playa Vista,” July 9: It is puzzling how Mayor James K. Hahn and his Planning Commission appointees state that Playa Vista’s Phase 2 will somehow aid with the jobs and housing imbalance. A primary reason the Eastside-to-Westside traffic grows is that there are so many Westside-dwelling wealthy folks with workers arriving each day for their jobs from the east side of the L.A. region. Will Playa Vista provide enough low-income housing to provide for these people? No.

In fact, almost immediately after Playa Vista received approval for more than $80 million from the state for affordable housing in Phase 1, the buildings constructed with those funds were advertised as “luxury apartments” after the few “affordable” units were rented.

How will more office spaces and stores help the jobs/housing imbalance? It won’t.

Balance. That’s what we need. Maybe the L.A. City Council will wake up to this fact before the final vote on Phase 2 in September.

Marcia Hanscom

Executive Director, Wetlands Action Network, Malibu