Katy Yaroslavsky is proposing faster approvals for condos and townhomes and a review of city fees that make starter homes costlier than rentals. The change targets a regulatory mismatch that can subject for-sale condominiums to longer subdivision review even when identical rental projects qualify for by-right construction. Her plan directs city departments to draft an ordinance within 30 days and to assess fee reductions, credits or deferrals to narrow the cost gap and help first-time buyers build equity.
Los Angeles Moves to Fast-Track Condos and Townhomes, Seeks Fee Cuts to Help First-Time Buyers
Photo Credit: iStock
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky is pushing a two-pronged effort to make starter-home ownership more attainable by speeding approvals for condominiums and townhomes and re-examining city fees that can make for-sale units more expensive than equivalent rentals, MyNewsLA reports.
Her motion would create an expedited approval pathway for eligible new condominium developments and directs planning and building agencies to draft an ordinance within 30 days. In parallel, Yaroslavsky has asked city officials to inventory the fees that apply when developers convert multifamily projects into individually sold units and to recommend remedies such as reductions, credits, deferrals, or more proportional fee structures.
Why This Matters
Under current rules, a project that otherwise qualifies for by-right construction can still be routed into a longer discretionary subdivision review if units are configured to be sold as condos rather than owned by a single landlord as apartments. That regulatory mismatch creates a disincentive for developers to build for-sale starter homes, even when the physical project is identical.
"For too many Angelenos, the first rung of homeownership has disappeared," Yaroslavsky said, arguing condos, townhomes and other smaller ownership models can provide an attainable entry point into homeownership.
The numbers underscore the challenge: MyNewsLA reports that only about 36% of homes in the city are owner-occupied, the median home price in Los Angeles exceeds $1 million, and in Los Angeles County homeowners do not outnumber renters until roughly age 59.
Costs Driving the Gap
When multifamily developments split ownership and sell units as condominiums, developers can face tens of thousands of dollars in additional city charges. These can include park fees, the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee, subdivision and mapping fees, and other development-related levies. Yaroslavsky’s plan asks the city administrative officer, the Department of City Planning, the Department of Building and Safety and the Bureau of Engineering to detail those differences and propose targeted fixes.
Proponents say the change could level the playing field so smaller for-sale housing — condos, townhomes and small-lot homes — becomes a realistic path for first-time buyers to build equity, instead of driving builders toward rental apartments simply because they face fewer regulatory hurdles.
Broader Context
The proposal aligns with statewide and local housing efforts, including Senate Bill 79, which sets standards around major transit stops, and the city's "Missing Middle LA" initiative to encourage smaller-scale housing such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), small-lot subdivisions and starter homes.
Yaroslavsky’s measure emphasizes two concrete steps: a 30-day effort to draft an ordinance creating a streamlined approval track for eligible new condos, and a formal accounting of fee disparities followed by policy recommendations to reduce the cost gap between condos and comparable rental housing.
MyNewsLA is the original source reporting on Yaroslavsky's motion.
Help us improve.
