Text by Julian Lucas

I came across an interesting post on social media about a virtual zoom conversation. The question posed was, ”How can we make housing more affordable?”

To answer this question, we need to look at the statistics and consider our present-day circumstance.

The city of Los Angeles has been obtaining real estate for the last 240 years since the city was founded in 1781. In the state of California, public-owned properties amount to almost 9,000 properties, which include undeveloped land as well as mixed-use, commercial, residential single-family and multi-family land. In 2018, there were over 7000 publicly owned buildings, which largely appear to remain vacant.

There are other statistics to factor into the discussion. According to Curbed LA, in 2015, 58.5 percent of people in Los Angeles are paying more than what is considered an “affordable” amount—meaning that more than 30 percent of their income goes toward their housing. So lets face it, Los Angeles is an unaffordable place to live.

In the era of Covid-19, many are losing or have lost their jobs. Even though minimum wage has gone up to $15 an hour, will that be a sustainable amount of money to afford a 1-bedroom apartment with an average rental rate of $1500 per month? Probably not when food, utilities, and other expenses are factored in.

HISTORY AND THE DISCONNECTION

If we stop for a moment and take a look at history, there was a time when people could live within their means, when apartments were affordable for people who didn’t make much money. Fast-forward to the present day, the middle class is now occupying those apartments and the people who don’t make much money are now homeless.

Will the market solve that? The housing market won’t ever solve that, no matter how much housing you build. And many city leaders, and city leader advocates seem to be disconnected from both the equation and the fact that people are living in a place that someone else is trying to make a profit.

Can we add capitalism in that equation? Of course! And with capitalism there is racism and classism. There is a disconnection when the community fails to see the difference between community improvement and gentrification. Community cleanups don't cost the city money because the community volunteers to do so. It is often true that the community takes part in their own displacement because they fail to realize that they lack protections when the cost for rentals goes up after they have planted the trees and improved their neighborhood.

Is Non-Discriminatory Public Housing the Solution to Counter Gentrification?
We have to understand gentrification creates a level system. When rent rises, the individual, family, or families move down the ladder of economic stability.

A solution to the problem is simple - non-discriminatory public housing. But leadership usually deems this solution impossible or too expensive. Section 8, the federal housing voucher program, is also a solution, however, section 8 has a failure rate, because it is difficult to locate a place that accepts a Section 8 voucher. However, if we allocate more land that is both publicly and privately owned for more public housing with rent-control, we could house more in need. This is an alternative to funding shelters.

Spike Lee’s “Do Right Thing” , 1989 Gentrification Rant

RACE & CLASS
In the US, race and class have been defined by redlining. Historically, class was created on racial lines and most of the gentrifiers are white. We have to figure how we protect not only lower classes of people, but a diversity of races.

The problem at present is acute when you consider the problem from the supply point of view. When the construction of new buildings on vacant lots, with an average price of a house takes double the income than the average person in Los Angeles County.

Building more housing, with the mindset of prices going down or reaching a state of plateau is not how housing works. Landlords market their apartments to make profit, and with market forces at work, this is not a pathway to make apartments affordable for middle, low income and very low-income people.

As you are reading this, many of you will have come to the conclusion that I am against development. I’m not. Actually, it's the opposite, I am all for development as long as it benefits everyone, but right now, I am seeing the everyday person adversely affected by the way development is presently conducted.

Links:
Curbed LA
Los Angeles Portfolio

Julian Lucas, is fine art photographer, photojournalist, and creative strategist. Julian also works as a housing specialist which, includes linking homeless veterans to housing. Julian has lived in Chicago, Inglewood, Portland, and the suburbs of Los Angeles County including Pomona.