Rebuilding Pacific Palisades: A Fight Over Affordability
As Pacific Palisades begins the long process of rebuilding after the devastating fire that destroyed more than 5,500 homes, a critical question arises: Should rebuilding "better" include more affordable housing?
The affluent community, where the average home cost $3.5 million before the fire, now faces pressure to include more diverse housing options. However, as Liam Dillon reports in the Los Angeles Times, resistance from some residents and high-profile figures like billionaire developer Rick Caruso suggests the battle for affordability won’t be easy. While Caruso has expressed general support for affordable housing, he has stated it doesn’t belong in Pacific Palisades, reinforcing longstanding exclusivity in the area.
Meanwhile, local business owner Justin Kohanoff sees an opportunity to reshape the community by developing an apartment complex, including low-income units, on his burned-out gas station lot. But with strict zoning laws favoring single-family homes and growing concerns about public safety and evacuation routes, increasing density in the area remains a contentious issue.
For the renters who lost their homes in the fire, the future is uncertain. As Dillon highlights, rent-controlled units provided a rare source of affordability in the Palisades, but differing interpretations of state and local laws could determine whether those protections remain in place for rebuilt apartments.
The debate over affordable housing in Pacific Palisades mirrors broader struggles across Los Angeles, where wealthy enclaves resist increased density despite housing shortages. As rebuilding efforts move forward, the question remains: Will Pacific Palisades restore what was lost, or will it embrace a more inclusive future?
LA Times article: Should building back better mean building more affordable housing?
Justin Kohanoff, the owner of a Shell gas station in the Pacific Palisades, stands on the site of his destroyed property in February. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)