Council Votes to Repeal Embattled Housing Law

The Long Beach City Council voted Tuesday to repeal an ordinance intended to help preserve housing for low-income families. In a preliminary 7-1 vote, the council moved to kill a law that requires developers who demolish low-cost housing units to either replace them with an equal number of affordable units or pay fees to a city housing fund.

Approved more than a year ago without opposition, the requirement has been denounced by developers, who mounted an intensive campaign against it.

Housing advocates, the City Council and developers have negotiated for months in an attempt to devise another affordable housing program that would be acceptable to all sides. No agreement has been reached.

The repeal proposal will come up for a final vote next week. Councilman Evan Anderson Braude voted against repeal and Councilman Ray Grabinski was absent.