The Problem With Expiring Covenants in Los Angeles

We spend billions of dollars on affordable housing development every year, but many units lose their protections and return to market prices after a few decades. Why do we do things this way? Annette Kim joins us to discuss this problem, community land trusts as a strategy for solving it, and the benefits and obstacles to scaling them up.

Show notes:

• Kim, A. M., & Eisenlohr, A. (2022). Community Land Trusts for Sustainably Affordable Rental Housing Redevelopment. Cityscape, 24(1), 233-256.
• Kim, A. M. (2015). Sidewalk City: Remapping Public Space in Ho Chi Minh City. University of Chicago Press.
• Episode 41 on shared-equity homeownership with William Cheung and Kelvin Wong.
• Feasibility analysis for increasing affordability covenant duration to 99 years in City of Los Angeles.
• From the Lewis Center: Phillips, S. (2020). Increasing the Duration of Affordability Requirements for New Affordable Housing.
• Reyes, E. A., & Menezes, R. (Mar 7, 2014). L.A. and Orange counties are an epicenter of overcrowded housing. Los Angeles Times.