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Long Beach outlines progress on state housing goals, rezoning and ADU growth
Summary
City staff told the Housing and Public Health Committee that Long Beach has made zoning and permitting gains toward its 6-cycle housing element but still must rezone many sites; staff also highlighted record ADU production and new county funding from Measure A. A tenant organizer urged stronger renter protections.
Long Beach city staff told the Housing and Public Health Committee on April 1 that the city is making measurable progress implementing its state‑mandated six‑cycle housing element but still must rezone many sites to meet statutory requirements.
In a presentation, Alejandro Sanchez Lopez, lead of Long Range Planning, said Long Beach’s RHNA (regional housing needs assessment) allocation for the current cycle is 26,502 units, with about 15,300 required to be restricted affordable units (approximately 58 percent). He described the city’s Zone In rezoning program, recent multi‑year rezoning work in North Long Beach (U Plan) and Central Long Beach (City Core), and ongoing efforts in Bixby, Wrigley and along Tenth to Broadway.
The committee heard that the city completed several housing milestones in 2024 and early 2025: the city approved entitlements for 1,788 units (258 identified as affordable), issued building permits for 1,704 units (nearly 250 affordable), and reported the construction of hundreds of housing units alongside the production of 864 accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Why it matters: State housing law requires cities to align zoning with adopted general plans so sites identified in certified housing‑element inventories can accommodate the densities assigned to them. Long Beach’s rezoning work and complementary policy changes will affect where and how much housing can be developed across the city, with implications for housing availability and neighborhood change.
City staff described several policy initiatives intended to accelerate development and preserve affordability, including a citywide inclusionary housing expansion, updates to the city’s enhanced density bonus program, a forthcoming religious‑facility zoning overlay to allow by‑right housing on qualifying institutional sites, a mid‑cycle equity analysis focused on fair‑housing outcomes, and a package of omnibus zoning code amendments to codify state law and streamline approvals. Sanchez Lopez said the religious‑facility overlay would build on state law (SB 4) and the city’s local incentives, and that the mid‑cycle equity analysis is under way with internal review completed and a planned council discussion this fall.
Staff also described recent and pending state regulatory changes the city is implementing, including compliance with AB 1397 and provisions of SB 330. Christopher Coutts, director of Community Development (presenting portions of the discussion), cautioned that the city “doesn’t build housing. The city facilitates development projects,” noting the long lead time from zoning change to construction. Coutts also highlighted the city’s record ADU output and said Long Beach is issuing housing starts at a higher rate than in prior decades.
Committee members asked about public participation in the Zone In rezonings; staff said each rezoning includes a public process with workshops, walking tours and online outreach and encouraged more resident involvement. Members also pressed staff on the mid‑cycle equity analysis timeline; staff said the internal review was complete, a council discussion will be scheduled for fall 2025, and a contract with an academic partner is expected to be announced in about a month to provide an external evaluation.
Staff described Measure A (a county sales tax measure that took effect April 1) as a potential new revenue source for homelessness services and for La Casa, a county finance provider; the city will receive a small payment in summer 2025 and larger allocations beginning in calendar year 2026, and city departments are coordinating a proposed expenditure plan.
On implementation tools, staff said the city is preparing an omnibus housing code update to codify state mandates, make permanent some emergency measures piloted during the homelessness declaration, and refine subjective site‑plan findings to more objective criteria to improve predictability and legal defensibility. Staff also noted an ongoing $45 million investment to replace legacy permitting and licensing software across six departments (the “Long Beach Build” system) intended to streamline permits and customer service.
Public comment: Maria, a District 1 resident and autonomous tenant organizer, urged the committee to pursue stronger tenant protections, including removing “substantial remodel” as a lawful basis for eviction and adopting a rent‑stabilization ordinance capped at 3 percent or 60 percent of the consumer price index. Maria said recent research and local lists contradict staff statements that rents are flat and argued that eviction and housing instability are matters of life and death.
The committee accepted the staff presentation (item 2) and approved meeting minutes for Oct. 15, 2024 (item 1). No vote tallies by member were recorded in the transcript.
Looking ahead, staff said they will return with more detailed briefings on inclusionary housing implementation, expanded tenant protections and rezoning schedules.
