CHIPing In: A Spatial Assessment of Los Angeles’ Rezone Program

Los Angeles has a state-mandated housing target of 456,000 new units by 2029. As part of that effort, in December the city council approved the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP), which upzones multifamily areas across LA. Aaron Barrall, data analyst at the Lewis Center, will share results from a detailed evaluation of CHIP with an emphasis on fair housing outcomes and development feasibility. Although the policy shifts housing capacity towards higher-opportunity neighborhoods and is likely to increase housing production, it also differs from LA’s original plan by excluding all properties with single-family zoning, greatly reducing its potential benefits. We will discuss what these decisions may mean for future growth, affordability, and access to opportunity in the city.

Shane Phillips manages the Randall Lewis Housing Initiative for the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. In this role, he supports faculty and student research, manages events, and publishes research, policy briefs, and educational materials. His work covers a wide range of housing topics including tenant protections, housing production policies, and government revenue and financing reforms. Shane is also the author of “The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach (and Keeping it There),” in which he argues for an “all of the above” approach to housing policy and outlines 55 strategies for improving affordability and household stability.

Aaron Barrall is a housing data analyst at the Randall Lewis Housing Initiative for the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, assisting faculty, students, and staff with data analysis and visualization. Before joining the Lewis Center, he worked as a private-sector urban planner, where he developed comprehensive land-use and housing plans. He has also held environmental-related roles at state and local government agencies.