In Search of a City: The LA Housing Podcast

LA has tens of millions of square feet of empty office space and a severe housing shortage. Why aren't we turning one into the other? Architect Karin Liljegren, who has spent 25 years converting old buildings into homes, explains what's standing in the way, from seismic rules to property taxes, and the fixes that could unlock thousands of units. 

We also discuss the slow start of SB 79, the landmark transit housing law, and find out why LA hasn't seen a single project submitted yet--while Santa Monica has had 3. 

Also, new research finds average apartment sizes in LA are shrinking. Why is that--and is it a good thing? 

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to episode 2
00:30 Karin Liljegren Introduction
1:35 Jonny Hale Update: AB1924 - Homelessness Prevention
2:06 Leslie Ridings Update: Downtown Reforms
4:46 Jesse Zwick Update: Fundraisers for HAC candidates
6:00 SB79's Mixed Start Across LA
23:22 Are apartments getting too small?
36:02 Can adaptive reuse work in LA?
1:07:32 Public Comment

THIS EPISODE'S GUEST
Karin Liljegren — Founding Principal, Omgivning, an LA architecture firm specializing in adaptive reuse
https://www.omgivning.com/

TODAY'S HOSTS
Jesse Zwick — Southern California Director, Housing Action Coalition
Jonny Hale — UCLA law student, Intern at Inner City Law Center, housing and transportation advocate
Leslie Ridings — downtown organizer and Abundant Housing LA board member

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
SB 79 (Wiener): https://mnolangray.substack.com/p/everything-you-need-to-know-about
LA Citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance: https://planning.lacity.gov/project-review/adaptive-reuse
Report on shrinking LA apartment sizes: https://la.urbanize.city/post/las-new-build-apartments-are-shrinking
AB 1924, homelessness prevention (Inner City Law Center): https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1924
AB 2074, the Downtown Revitalization Act: https://davisvanguard.org/2026/09/california-ab-2074-housing-bill/

PUBLIC COMMENT

Got something to say to us? We read everything.
Which empty LA building would you turn into housing? Tell us in the comments.

Email: [email protected]
X: @HACdotorg
Instagram: @housingactioncoalition

LISTEN ON

Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-a-city-the-la-housing-podcast/id6811204065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EgzDpuw8AClu7lXpnTriE

New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss one, and please rate and review to help more people find fact-based information about solving LA's housing crisis.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: HSQVBMW1RTAFX6WH

#HousingPolicy #LosAngeles #YIMBY #Urbanism #CaliforniaHousing #AdaptiveReuse #SB79

PUBLIC COMMENT

Got something to say to us? We read everything.
Which empty LA building would you turn into housing? Tell us in the comments.

Email: [email protected]
X: @HACdotorg
Instagram: @housingactioncoalition

LISTEN ON

Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-a-city-the-la-housing-podcast/id6811204065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EgzDpuw8AClu7lXpnTriE

New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss one, and please rate and review to help more people find fact-based information about solving LA's housing crisis.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: HSQVBMW1RTAFX6WH

LA has the highest rate of overcrowded households in America, the lowest homeownership rate of any major city, and the most unsheltered homelessness in the country. Over the past five years, LA County lost about 300,000 people — from a region that's still adding jobs.

So is LA uniquely bad at this? Or just unlucky?

In the first episode of In Search of a City, four Angelenos who work on housing from very different angles break down what happened at the end of California's Legislative session, why California quietly stopped building condos two decades ago, and why a region of 88 separate cities can't seem to build homes for the people who already want to live here.

CHAPTERS

00:03 Introducing the podcast
00:52 Co-host Io Sunwoo Intro
02:40 Co-host Jonny Hale Intro
03:53 Co-host Leslie Ridings Intro
05:29 Co-host Jesse Zwick intro
08:26 Housing News: The Last 2 Weeks
08:41 State Legislative Session Results
09:40 AB1903: Homeownership and Condo Reform
21:53 SB1116: Missing Middle Housing Reform
33:27 AB2074: Downtown Revitalization Act
43:00 Why is LA so bad at housing?
01:01:52 Public Comment

YOUR HOSTS
Jesse Zwick — Southern California Director, Housing Action Coalition
Io Sunwoo — CEO and Managing Partner, Shelter X
Jonny Hale — UCLA law student, Intern at Inner City Law Center, housing and transportation advocate
Leslie Ridings — downtown organizer and Abundant Housing LA board member

PUBLIC COMMENT
Got something to say to us? We read everything.
Email: [email protected]
X: @HACdotorg
Instagram: @housingactioncoalition

New episodes every two weeks. If this was useful, rate and review — it's how more people find fact-based information about solving LA's housing crisis.

#HousingPolicy #LosAngeles #YIMBY #Urbanism #CaliforniaHousing

PUBLIC COMMENT

Got something to say to us? We read everything.
Which empty LA building would you turn into housing? Tell us in the comments.

Email: [email protected]
X: @HACdotorg
Instagram: @housingactioncoalition

LISTEN ON

Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-a-city-the-la-housing-podcast/id6811204065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EgzDpuw8AClu7lXpnTriE

New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss one, and please rate and review to help more people find fact-based information about solving LA's housing crisis.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: HSQVBMW1RTAFX6WH