Foundation asks court to enforce Hollywood housing laws

Wave Wire Services

LOS ANGELES — The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court regarding its lawsuit to have housing laws enforced against four Hollywood residential and mixed-use development projects and require them to offer more affordable housing units.

The lawsuit was filed last August against the city of Los Angeles, the City Council and several luxury property developers, alleging they are committing violations of both state and federal anti-discrimination housing laws.

The foundation claims those laws should apply to four developments in Hollywood — the Sunset Gordon Tower, the Palladium Residences, Crossroads Hollywood and one planned at the Amoeba Music site — and it hopes to overturn a recent state appellate court ruling to allow the developments to continue.

“Not a single one of these luxury property developments in Hollywood has nearly enough housing units set aside as affordable for very low or extremely low-income families and they collectively continue the gentrification and wholesale displacement of low-income, largely minority communities from Hollywood,” foundation President Michael Weinstein said.

We believe the courts were incorrect in their interpretation of the laws and respectfully are seeking reconsideration before the Supreme Court of California,” he said.

The suit involves:

Sunset Gordon Tower on Sunset Boulevard, a 22-story apartment complex that is billed to be an “almost entirely market-rate” apartment complex by development company CIM.

• Hollywood Palladium Residences, by developer Crescent Heights; the twin 28-story towers will house 730 residential units.

Crossroads Hollywood, by Harridge Development Group, to include 950 apartments in three high-rise buildings, with more than 100 apartments to be set aside for very low-income families. But Harridge plans to demolish more than 80 units of existing rent stabilized apartment housing, netting only 20 new affordable housing units, according to the foundation.

• And an unnamed 26-story, 200-unit luxury residential and commercial development that would provide almost no below-market housing, planned by GPI Cos. for the former Amoeba Music site on Sunset Boulevard.

“Not a single one of these luxury property developments in Hollywood has nearly enough housing units set aside as affordable. …”

—Michael Weinstein