The Metro Board unanimously approved a motion co-authored by Mayor Karen Bass on Feb. 24 to maximize the use of Metro property for temporary and permanent housing. The action directly builds on Bass’ executive directive to utilize every feasible parcel of land owned by the city for new housing.

“If we are going to save lives and house Angelenos with the urgency needed to address this crisis, we must leave no stone unturned when identifying new places to build temporary and permanent housing,” said Bass, who serves on the Metro Board. “I want to applaud my fellow Metro Board members for locking arms and committing to work tirelessly to make sure that together we are holding nothing back when it comes to the urgent work of housing Angelenos and providing them with the resources they need to stay indoors.”

The motion was co-introduced by Bass, Metro Board chair Ara Najarian, Metro board members and Los Angeles County Supervisors Janice Hahn, Holly Mitchell and Hilda Solis, and Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian.

“Metro has already set an aggressive goal to provide 10,000 units of transit-connected affordable housing units on Metro-owned land by 2031,” Najarian said. “This directive is a natural progression of this ambitious agenda. Working closely with both the city and the county, Metro will do its part to help address the humanitarian crisis we are now facing with compassion and urgency.”

“The crisis of homelessness directly impacts Metro’s core mission, and Metro must play a more active role in addressing it,” Krekorian said. “Metro’s ridership is disproportionately rent burdened. Transit-oriented community development gives us an opportunity to create more affordable housing. [This] motion is an important next step in creating housing that will benefit the entire county.”

Metro will update its inventory of land available for temporary or permanent housing, ensure its policies are consistent with Bass’ executive directive and take steps to increase housing production under its joint development program. Bass’ Executive Directive 3 requires that the mayor be provided within 20 days an inventory of unused and underutilized city property that could be used for temporary or permanent housing with on-site services. The goal is to prioritize temporary and permanent housing with on-site services and eliminate unnecessary hurdles in creating housing.