Just 3 percent of California cities and counties are on track to meet housing goals set by the state.
Only 33 cities or counties out of 539 issued enough permits in 2019 — the most recent year with complete data — to meet their target, according to an analysis by the Los Angeles Daily News.
The analysis is based on the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, a state study of housing production that takes into account the affordability of new housing permitted in each jurisdiction statewide.
The publication’s analysis graded cities on an A to F scale in each category of affordability. A jurisdiction received an F if it failed to issue permits to meet affordable housing goals, even if it issued permits for above-moderate-income housing.
Nearly a third of all jurisdictions earned an F. Compared to 2018, more jurisdictions issued enough permits to earn a B grade and there were fewer F grades. The most recent analysis found that the average grade was C-minus.
The city of L.A. was among those well behind on permitting.
It issued permits for nearly three times as many above-moderate-income housing as needed per the RHNA. But it issued fewer than half as many permits for very low-, low- and moderate-income housing units as recommended.
California has generally been behind on housing production for years. Some jurisdictions won’t meet their housing goals for a very very very long time if the pace of production is maintained, according to one report.
[LADN] — Dennis Lynch