The Los Angeles City Council has approved an Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) with an urgency clause that prohibits the issuance of demolition permits on rent-stabilized multifamily housing and covenanted affordable housing units in the Boyle Heights Community Plan area. This measure is intended to protect public health, safety, and welfare by maintaining existing affordable housing stock and preventing displacement in the community. The ICO is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as it is a temporary measure that maintains the status quo until new land use regulatory controls are established. The ordinance is effective immediately and will remain in place until the adoption of updated land use controls for the Boyle Heights area.
This ICO is critical in preserving affordable housing and preventing displacement in the Boyle Heights community, which is facing significant gentrification pressures. By maintaining existing housing stock, the ordinance seeks to protect low-income households and mitigate the city's homelessness crisis.