Learn more on the new Metro Joint Development StoryMap
In April 2023, the Metro Board of Directors approved a revamp of the agency’s Joint Development Program, which leverages Metro-owned properties to build housing and other community benefits near transit.
The Metro Board’s newly approved Joint Development process will accelerate the construction of housing — especially affordable housing — to help address our region’s housing affordability crisis.
This action builds on the Metro Board’s June 2021 approval of an updated Joint Development Policy and their September 2021 mandate to build 10,000 housing units near transit by 2031.
To grow the Joint Development portfolio to 10,000 units by 2031, the rate of project delivery must increase tenfold. Here’s exactly where we are:
To achieve the 10,000 goal, approximately 20 sites throughout Los Angeles County have been identified as candidates for housing development that will be near transit and provide site-specific community benefits. The identified sites are a gateway to the Metro transit system and hold unique potential to advance community development goals while attracting new riders to the Metro system.
At the heart of Metro’s commitment is this: working closely with local jurisdictions, community members and organizations — and making the process more straightforward. Significant elements of our new approach are to establish a “bench” of qualified developers, create more unified and objective design standards, and better align Metro criteria with the expectations of other local, regional, and state agencies that fund affordable housing development.
The next step for the Joint Development program is to host a Developers Industry Forum in July, where prospective developers can learn more about the updated process and get a preview of the upcoming Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to establish a bench of qualified developers, which is due out later this summer. Once the developer bench has been approved by the Metro Board in early 2024, Requests for Proposals for individual development opportunity sites will begin being released.
Metro’s Vision 2028 Plan calls for enhancing communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity. This updated Joint Development process is a major step toward fulfilling that promise and expanding opportunities for residents in L.A. County.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects
This is great. I’m concerned how many new riders it will attract if the condition of the stations continue in their current state of being. I’m leading 25 out-of-town guests on a tour of Los Angeles, departing from the Metro Center station July 12 around 2:20pm to Hollywood/Highland station. I went on the route last Sunday to see for myself what it’s like, starting at Union Station. It was like what I’ve been reading about. Maybe a dozen or more homeless individuals milling about the station or on the train already sleeping or having conversations with themselves or others. One man on the train urinated not in the train car, but out to the loading platform where the doors open. Anyone entering/exiting the train at that door will step in a puddle of urine until it evaporates. I was in the second car from the front, wondering if the individuals who ride all day/night might stick to the first or last car. Nope, they are in most if not all cars. Two sheriff’s officers were in the station at the loading platforms talking to each other. A security camera would have caught the gentleman who urinated. Would he be cited for urinating in public? Probably didn’t have any ID on him, and wouldn’t have the money to pay a citation. So is law enforcement not able to do anything about the ones who ride all day sleeping in the trains or loitering in the stations? It may infringe on a person’s civil rights, but it is enough to deter the public from using public transit. No wonder numbers are down. The stations need cleaning. The trains need cleaning. All of this combines to leaving a not-very-positive experience in L.A., and I fear my visitors will stone me for putting them through this and never come to L.A. again. I hope, by 12 days from now, SOMETHING is done to improve this situation. It’s outrageous that billions of $$ of needed transportation is paralyzed because the less fortunate have made it their home. Needless to say, they aren’t taking care of it either.
I will say that the conditions are terrible and need to change, however I feel like the issues are just a representation of the city in general. It isn’t all Metro’s fault but Metro should also do more to fix these issues. Also, I will point out that the light rail lines are generally safer and cleaner than the subway lines.
This has been going on for years, ain’t no way the agency is gonna “solve” this in less than 2 weeks.
Good luck west of La Brea on the Purple Line. Do you really believe upper middle class and wealthy communities like Beverly Hills will welcome affordable housing? In addition that part of the Wilshire corridor is zoned “Commercial”.
You’re gonna be needing way more than that considering the current homeless population ALONE well exceeds this.
BUT, assuming all these are actually affordable housing and not that stunt you pulled as an agency at Hollywood/Vine, then yes an applause is well deserved here.
More housing brings more congestion into already congested urban areas. New housing projects should be in undeveloped areas far away from Los Angeles.
We need to keep working people close to jobs. Densifying the areas close to transit doubles down on our investment in transit.