The City of West Hollywood has begun the process of updating its Housing Element for 2021-2029. The City encourages community members to participate in the process and provide feedback to shape the future of housing in West Hollywood.

As part of launching this process, the City of West Hollywood will host a free virtual community workshop about the Housing Element Update on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at 11 a.m. The virtual community workshop will encourage the exchange of ideas about how the City of West Hollywood can best address the housing needs of West Hollywood residents. Community members who are interested in participating can register and join on Zoom.

The Housing Element is a state-mandated component of the City of West Hollywood’s General Plan that must be updated every eight years. The Housing Element serves as a policy guide that provides an indication of the need for housing in the community, particularly the availability, affordability, and adequacy of housing.

During the Housing Element Update virtual community workshop, there will be a presentation by staff from the City of West Hollywood’s Rent Stabilization and Housing Division and Long Range Planning Division, as well as consultants from Rincon Consultants. The presentation will explain why the Housing Element Update is necessary, will report on the state of housing in the City of West Hollywood, and will explain what the Housing Element Update will do.

The City of West Hollywood encourages community members to join the Housing Element Update discussion and to take part in this important process. In order to effectively meet the housing needs of the community, it is vital that a diverse cross-section of residents and stakeholders participates to capture and share feedback about the community’s needs, values, and priorities. During the upcoming months, there will be a wide range of outreach and public engagement activities including online community surveys; community-wide workshops; and public hearings at meetings of the City’s Planning Commission and City Council. For additional information about the Housing Element Update, please visit www.weho.org/housingelement.

The City’s Rent Stabilization and Housing Division works to promote housing equity and inclusion with programs and policies that maintain existing affordability in the housing market, that require affordable housing in new development, that create new housing in partnership with affordable housing providers, and that connect residents to services and support to extend independent living. For more information about the City’s Rent Stabilization and Housing Division, please visit www.weho.org/housing.

For more information, please contact Alicen Bartle, City of West Hollywood Project Development Administrator, at abartle@weho.org or at (323) 438-1949. The Housing Element Update virtual community workshop will be recorded and will available for viewing on the Housing Element website after the event. If you will require special accommodations, please call the City’s Rent Stabilization and Housing Division in advance at (323) 848-6450.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised, at this time, to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public for essential needs, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public. Additionally, people 65 years old or older and all people of any age with underlying health conditions should remain at home whenever possible; people in these categories should only leave their residences to seek medical care, exercise, or obtain food or other necessities.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.