Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
affordable housing

L.A. City Council Approves Affordable Housing Linkage Fee

Linkage Fee supporters holding up AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOW signage in council chambers today. Photo by Joe Linton/Streetsblog L.A.

In a unanimous 14-0 vote this afternoon, the Los Angeles City Council approved its Affordable Housing Linkage Fee. The approval was cheered by hundreds of affordable housing advocates assembled at city hall council chambers.

The way the linkage fee works is that new market rate development will pay into the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Different types of development in different parts of the city pay tiered amounts. The linkage fee is expected to raise $100 million annually, resulting in an estimated 1,500 affordable housing units each year.

The linkage fee made it through contentious hearings at the council's Planning (PLUM) Committee in June, August and October. Those hearings resulted in several amendments, including exempting new hospitals. Under the leadership of Councilmembers José Huizar and Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the linkage fee plan emerged largely intact.

A new amendment was proposed today by councilmembers Mike Bonin, Paul Koretz, and David Ryu, who represent the city's strongest markets for development. The amendment would increase the fee from $15 to $18 per square foot in the city's high market areas. This increased fee proposal is pending future approval by committee/s and council.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Metro 2026 World Cup Transit Plans Emerging

From June 13 to July 7, 2026, Los Angeles will host eight World Cup soccer matches, all at the SoFi Stadium in the city of Inglewood

May 9, 2025

Metro Names Bill Scott as Chief of Police

Chief Scott and Metro leadership emphasized that keeping Metro transit safe would require a multi-faceted approach that included the deployment of officers as well as collaboration with the community, ambassadors, and service providers. "Sometimes enforcement is the answer," Scott said. "Sometimes it's not."

May 7, 2025

Lyft’s Anti-Worker Anti-Transit Record Raises Red Flags For Metro Bike Share

Edwin Aviles and Kalayaan Mendoza urge Metro not to reward bad actors working to undermine workers’ rights and mass transit

See all posts