…A legal battle had stopped Los Angeles from permitting new granny flats – and thrown hundreds of units already tucked behind local homes into limbo.
As the city tries to sort out that dilemma, it has renewed a furious debate at City Hall over what homeowners should be able to build in their backyards.
Granny flats – also known as second or accessory dwelling units – have been seen as an easy way to bring more homes for the middle class into crowded cities and chip away at the housing crisis that has driven up Los Angeles rents.
State lawmakers have sought to smooth the approval process so more are built. If granny flats popped up on 10% of the single-family lots in L.A., that would make up roughly half of the 100,000 new units Mayor Eric Garcetti has pledged to create by 2021, said Dana Cuff, director of the CityLab think tank at UCLA. Garcetti has backed them as a way to add housing “without disrupting the character and scale of our residential neighborhoods.”…
…With lawmakers split on what to do, the City Council put off taking action last week…
Source: ‘Granny flats’ left in legal limbo amid City Hall debate – LA Times
UPDATE: Today August 31st, the City of Los Angeles has moved to allow all Granny Flats already in the permit process to move to completion. However no new permits will be issued until new guidelines are written.
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