Los Angeles faces a widening affordability gap as it works to plan for 225,000 new residential units by 2029. Vacancy rates are among the lowest in the country, and average rents sit about 32% above the national average, according to CoStar.

Other cities are also using executive actions to tackle affordability, with San Diego, Seattle, Boston and Chicago rolling out measures that fast-track permits, shrink review times and modernize planning departments.

“This is a meaningful achievement for the city and a major step forward in breaking through the layers of red tape that have slowed housing production for too long,” Aftalion told CoStar News. “It should serve as a model for cities across the country that are committed to accelerating the creation of much-needed homes.”

ED1 has been in place since late 2022 and has helped draw proposals for more than 35,000 affordable units. About 29,000 have secured approvals, and several projects from South LA to the San Fernando Valley are already completed or under construction.

While ED1 is perhaps the most popular housing development tool in Los Angeles today, developers say, it’s not the only one.

The City Housing Incentive Program offers added benefits for affordable projects, especially near transit corridors, and the newly signed SB 79 further streamlines approvals and opens up more sites for apartment development.