Villaraigosa Announces Plan for Affordable Housing

Mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled a housing plan for Los Angeles on Thursday that would build more affordable units and create incentives for first-time home-buyers.

“I am here today because my mother never owned her own home,” Villaraigosa said, adding that the city would not succeed if young people, teachers and police officers could not afford to live in it.

The homeownership rate in Los Angeles is about 40%, and the city consistently ranks as among the least affordable markets in the nation.

To help remedy that, Villaraigosa, a city councilman who represents the Eastside, said he would create Workforce Housing Zones in Los Angeles.

Construction of units in those areas would be encouraged with special incentives such as density bonuses and reduced building permit fees.

He said that he would lobby lawmakers in Washington and Sacramento to allow first-time home-buyers to save money for down payments in tax-free savings accounts similar to those now used for medical bills and college tuition.

Villaraigosa added that a crucial part of his plan was a Faith Family and Communities Initiative, in which the city would work with community and religious nonprofit groups to build housing.

He underscored his point by announcing his plan while flanked by several clergy members as he stood in front of Adams Senior Housing, a cheerful apartment building in South Los Angeles.

The building was developed by the Menorah Housing Federation, which was founded by the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles.

Many of the assembled pastors said they were delighted with the plan.

“This is a giant step for our city,” said the Rev. R.A. Williams, pastor of McCoy Memorial Baptist Church.

Villaraigosa also accused Mayor James K. Hahn of not fully funding the city’s housing trust fund, which was created to help pay for affordable housing.

When Hahn unveiled the fund in 2002, he pledged that it would reach $100 million in two years.

The city’s Housing Department said the fund allocated $40 million last year.

Villaraigosa’s announcement came a day after Hahn had proposed putting a $500-million housing bond before voters as soon as next year.

Although Hahn’s campaign sent a representative to listen to Villaraigosa’s announcement, the campaign did not directly respond to the plan.