Long Beach council approves citywide expansion of inclusionary housing rules after months of debate

Long Beach City Council voted Feb. 11 to expand the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance from its prior coverage in downtown and Midtown to apply citywide, adopting new affordability mixes and a phased implementation schedule after extensive public comment and staff briefings.

City staff told the council the change is intended to produce more mixed-income housing across Long Beach and help the city meet state housing goals. Christopher Koontz, director of Community Development, said staff’s recommendation grew from outreach and an economic feasibility study and is designed to “expand inclusionary housing requirements to other areas of the city in a way that is thoughtful, economically balanced and impactful.”

The council and staff framed the change as part of a larger strategy to meet the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and to “affirmatively further fair housing,” by encouraging affordable units in higher-opportunity neighborhoods and reducing concentrations of poverty in other areas. Stephanie Harper, a Community Development staffer leading the…