Raman, Advocacy Groups Criticize Hollywood Community Plan Update

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Multiple officials and advocacy groups Wednesday spoke out against a plan that they say will worsen gentrification and homelessness by continuing to drive up housing prices. Housing Is A Human Right came out in opposition of the Hollywood Community Plan Update, which will be reviewed by the City Planning Commission on Thursday.

The plan aims to preserve low-density neighborhoods while finding worthy locations for new development. According to the CPC, the plan will protect vulnerable hillsides from overdevelopment, reduce dependence on cars, and create a more walkable Hollywood.

Housing Is A Human Right, however, said the plan was "flawed and very problematic" on Wednesday in a written statement opposing the update.

"For too many years, L.A. City Hall has bent over backwards to give developers whatever they want and let them decide what our communities look like and who gets housing -- and it's not working," said policy director Susan Shannon. "In fact, it's fueling gentrification and the housing affordability and homelessness crisis. City leaders must address our homeless crisis by providing city-owned land for homeless housing, mandate a percentage of housing be built for low-income residents and protect the city against predatory developers. Every community plan must have a comprehensive path forward to housing our unhoused and low-income residents."

Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who represents part of Hollywood, said the plan could do more to protect tenants already in the area.

"Namely, we believe the plan can enshrine more robust protections against tenant displacement, be more ambitious in its offering of affordable housing incentives, and take additional steps to protect open space in the Santa Monica mountains," Raman said.

Specifically, the councilwoman opposed potential height limits and reductions on Sunset Boulevard in Corridor 5 and Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz, along with sections of Hollywood Boulevard and Melrose Ave, because she felt the plan did not show a substantial commitment to affordable housing. Rather, she pushed for a model that would incentivize affordable housing in "high-opportunity neighborhoods," and remove parking requirements for affordable projects.

"We believe that new affordability covenants in Hollywood should follow in the lead of Santa Monica, New York City, and other cities and extend in perpetuity, not their current 55-year time horizon," Raman said. "We further support the Just Hollywood Coalition’s demand for increased public input on hotel projects, requiring conditional use permits appealable to the City Council and restricting the conversion and demolition of housing for the development of hotels."

The City Planning Commission will review the project at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. The meeting can be accessed here with passcode 122601.