Politics
Los Angeles Density Ballot Measure: Koreatown Compared to Long Beach and San Diego Rules
Koreatown residents along Olympic Boulevard and Western Avenue would see new apartment approvals shift under the citywide measure, with rules that track Long Beach allowances more closely than San Diego limits.
How we reported this
The Los Angeles ballot measure on the November 2026 ballot would raise allowable residential density by 30 percent in designated commercial zones. Koreatown falls inside two such zones, so property owners could add floors to existing buildings or replace single-story retail with mixed-use structures without seeking separate variances.
Why the measure reaches voters now
City planning staff documented a shortfall of 456,000 housing units in the 2025 Housing Element update submitted to the state. The measure responds to that shortfall by changing zoning code language rather than creating new subsidy programs. Similar code changes took effect in Long Beach in 2023 and produced 1,800 additional permitted units in the first full year, according to the Long Beach Development Services Department annual report.
San Diego voters rejected a comparable density increase in 2024, keeping a requirement that projects over six stories must include 15 percent deed-restricted affordable units on site. Los Angeles staff calculations show the proposed measure would apply the 15 percent requirement only to projects that exceed the new base density by more than 50 percent.
Concrete effects inside Koreatown boundaries
A property owner at the intersection of 8th Street and Irolo Street could add two residential floors above an existing commercial building under the new rules. Current zoning caps height at 45 feet; the measure would raise the cap to 60 feet in that block. Tenants in adjacent rent-stabilized units would retain relocation assistance rights if construction displaces them for more than 30 days, per the existing Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
Local business operators note that ground-floor retail space would remain mandatory in new projects, preserving the corridor's commercial character. The measure does not alter parking minimums, which stay at one space per residential unit as set in the 2021 update to the Los Angeles Municipal Code.
City budget documents for fiscal year 2026 allocate 42 million dollars to the Housing Department for code enforcement and tenant counseling services. Those funds would cover additional staff time needed to process the expected rise in permit applications if the measure passes.
Voters will decide the measure on November 3, 2026. If approved, the zoning changes take effect 30 days after certification of results, with the first projects under the new rules projected to reach the planning counter in early 2027.