Los Angeles is planning to sell 10 vacant lots measuring less than a quarter of an acre to developers in a pilot program to create more housing.
The city owns about 1,000 vacant lots that could be used to construct new homes. Los Angeles has partnered with cityLAB and LA4LA, a public-private program, on an initiative that includes a design competition for architects to draft plans for these vacant lots.
The competition’s goal is to promote the use of innovative materials and construction methods to build fire-resistant structures while reducing the cost of the housing units. Winning designs will serve as pre-approved city templates that developers can deploy. Projects are likely to be between four and 20 units, with building heights ranging from one to three stories.
The city plans to use proceeds from the sale of the lots to help fund down payments for homebuyers purchasing the units built at these sites.
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