Los Angeles City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee reviewed the city’s next steps for responding to SB 79, the new state law that will allow five- to nine-story multifamily buildings by-right within a half mile of major transit lines beginning July 1, 2026. The committee approved a plan to analyze all available options for delaying the law’s effectuation for one to five years, including potential exemptions for historic districts, high fire zones, or areas where the city adopts alternative housing plans. Neighborhoods like Hancock Park, Windsor Square, and the Miracle Mile could see significant impacts due to proximity to Metro’s D Line and other transit corridors, and Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Nithya Raman, and Heather Hutt expressed support for delaying implementation while conducting community outreach. The Planning Department will return in January with detailed recommendations, and the Council must act by March to secure state approval for any delay.
Last month, a group of Los Angeles County students were suspended for four consecutive days after a fight in their juvenile detention classroom, prompting concerns about the transparency and fairness of educational practices in these facilities. Education attorney Stacy Nuñez, representing one of the suspended students, criticized the lack of clarity surrounding the legal settlements that allow the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) to interrupt education services for youth in detention. Advocates argue that such disciplinary actions, like suspensions without prior behavioral interventions, exemplify the systemic issues in the county’s juvenile justice and education systems, particularly regarding students’ access to services. The ongoing receivership hearings, which aim to place full operational control of juvenile detention facilities under a court-appointed receiver, have highlighted education as a key area for reform.
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On November 21, LA County released a spending plan proposing to cut roughly a third of homelessness programs and services to address a $303 million budget deficit, with the Department of Homeless Services proposing to spend $634.3 million on comprehensive services, down 0.5% from the current year. The plan would close 20 of 30 Pathway Home program sites, slash outreach staff by half, eliminate housing navigation programs, and eliminate all county homelessness prevention funding – with Sarah Mahin, director of the homeless department, stating this is “a very challenging budget year – and painful for all of us.” The county said maintaining current service levels would require $865 million, roughly $230 million more than available, with nonprofit leaders like Eli Veitzer warning the cuts to outreach and navigation services will be “catastrophic”.
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