ACTION Apartment Association - L.A. leaders weigh a new idea to halt rent hikes: Force landlords to sell their buildings

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L.A. leaders weigh a new idea to halt rent hikes: Force landlords to sell their buildings

L.A. leaders weigh a new idea to halt rent hikes: Force landlords to sell their buildings

02/05/2020 7:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Los Angeles leaders have relied on different strategies for slowing the growth in housing prices — limits on rent hikes in older buildings, new restrictions on Airbnb and incentives for developers who build affordable housing.

Now, City Councilman Gil Cedillo has another idea for keeping rents low in his district: Force a landlord in Chinatown to sell its building to the city.

On Friday, Cedillo announced plans for having the Board of Public Works — the agency that oversees sidewalk repairs, street repaving and the construction of bridges — use its power of eminent domain to acquire a 124-unit apartment building from landlord Thomas Botz.