On October 11, California Governor Gavin Newsom executed Assembly Bill (AB) 1734, focusing on the state's ongoing housing and homelessness issue, especially in Los Angeles. Sponsored by Mayor Karen Bass and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, AB 1734 aims to dismantle bureaucratic hurdles and quicken affordable housing creation on public properties, as per LA Mayor's Office.
Historically, the Surplus Land Act—designed to help local entities pinpoint surplus or underutilized public land for economical housing development—has been seen as a hindrance to community-based solutions. AB 1734 significantly amends this act by adding an exemption for current public properties, thereby, making it easier for Los Angeles to use such lands for interim and enduring housing.
Through affordable housing initiatives, Mayor Bass, addressing homelessness, has already fast-tracked over 7,000 units with her Executive Directive 3, also intending to maximize city-owned land utilization for housing. The signing of AB 1734 accelerates the process for Los Angeles as it creates sustainable solutions for the homeless
Due to the pressing efforts, over 17,000 Los Angeles residents have transitioned from streets into homes. However, despite progress being made confronting the homelessness crisis, affordable housing scarcity persists, particularly in gentrification-affected neighborhoods, as mentioned by LA Mayor's Office.
AB 1734 marks the second bill Mayor Bass sponsored that Governor Newsom has signed.
