Joe Cohen
@CohenSite
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Here to solve the housing crisis. Also talk about urban design, architecture, Los Angeles government, and transportation
Los Angeles, CA
Joined January 2022
You usually only hear business stories from people who are trying to promote themselves. This is the story of Anne M, a woman who “accidentally” bought a small glass business in her 60’s and grew it into the 17th largest glazing company in the US
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Why does LA's Public Benefit Option work so well? 1) They listened to architects + developers about feasibility: Originally, it called for 15% 3 bedroom units, but 3br units are ~2x the size of 1br units, so that would be 30% of space. They lowered it to 10%, feasible in most
It's really cool seeing public policy working as intended. Thanks to CHIP's "Public Benefit Option," most new development proposals in LA now have at least 10% 3-bedroom units. It's a rare instance where incentive design was calibrated perfectly.
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@CohenSite Absolutely makes sense to do the 3 bedrooms PBO. Corner units can be designed very efficiently with 3 bedrooms. The added FAR and height really allow you to maximize density when in a higher tier transit zone.
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It's really cool seeing public policy working as intended. Thanks to CHIP's "Public Benefit Option," most new development proposals in LA now have at least 10% 3-bedroom units. It's a rare instance where incentive design was calibrated perfectly.
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That’s it! We should solve LA’s housing crisis by stealing housing from the Owens Valley!
It's like water You don't think about opening the tap when you wash your hands or shower It's sufficiently affordable that you don't care We should do the same for housing, too many houses, so many houses, oversupply, crash the market A house or two for everyone!
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Ecommerce founders: if you’re scaling Meta, TikTok, or Google ads this holiday season… 👀 New Mercury IO credit cardholders can get 2.5% cashback on ad spend, up to $3K — for the first 120 days after activation.
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The California fire marshal has created an email address for comments from the public on the legislatively mandated single-exit work group: SESworkgroup@fire.ca.gov If you have any comments (any at all, whether particularly novel or not), please send them.
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I think Friend is actually a conspiracy to funnel tech money to Outfront Media
Largest tech campaign in LA’s history 307 billboards 160 buses 500 bus shelters $500,000
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Woah! Richard Neutra's Jardinette Apartments, which was one of the (if not the) first modernist building built in the United States, is undergoing a full historic restoration. The building is located at Western and Marathon near East Hollywood
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Zach Bryan beef aside, this is absolutely disgusting propaganda I was shocked and horrified as a kid when my dad took us to the Japanese internment camp at Manzanar - couldn’t believe we would treat our own people that way I didn’t vote for this
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If you're running for governor as a Democrat, you might want to think about taking down the framed picture of George W. Bush when reporters come to visit your office...
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@otter401 It’s been known for years. And it’s only getting worse. I’m on month 6 waiting for break even study to be completed and fault current calcs to be provided. Now projects are being delayed to start on top of delayed to energize.
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These are the same "community voices" behind our lack of housing and inflated rents.
My two oldest kids have been asking to sell lemonade. After an hour, the neighborhood security guard came up and said, “I hate to have to do this, but several neighbors have called asking me to shut down the lemonade stand.” There are some grumpy, miserable people out there.
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Thrive Living, the developer behind the Costco monster, has a new ED 1 affordable housing project in the works on Pico in West LA. Making this project unique (for ED 1) are ground-floor retail, three(!) stories of underground parking, and a few three-bedroom units.
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This zillow listing appears to be directed by David Lynch
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I’ll never build again in Los Angeles. It’s been 45 days with city inspectors, each one wants something that the previous one didn’t mention. This is for an ADU. No wonder LA has a housing shortage. I built one as a test, knowing I could build another 5+ if I went well. I won’t.
@RickCarusoLA We have pulled back massively in Los Angeles. This article is accurate, but not close to comprehensive. A few other issues driving the free fall in new construction: - population shrinking does not inspire confidence (and its shrinking because people are voting with their feet)
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I wrote a long 🧵 yesterday on my puzzlement about the chatter that @GavinNewsom or his advisors might think it'd be politically prudent to veto SB 79. Today I'll explain why I don't think he'll cave. tl,dr: he's a bold idealist and fundamentally good on housing! 1/🧵
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This concept has bothered me for a long time... Why is so much of the societal challenge of affordable housing placed squarely on the backs of those who are actively working to provide housing (and, more specifically, their investors)...?
It’s time to severely slash or eliminate linkage fees in LA….most non-industry people I mention it to are shocked to hear the city ADDED fees on housing 7 yrs ago that by itself, adds ~$900,000 (!!!) to a developer’s cost to build a average sized 40k SF, 50-ish unit market apt:
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@RickCarusoLA We have pulled back massively in Los Angeles. This article is accurate, but not close to comprehensive. A few other issues driving the free fall in new construction: - population shrinking does not inspire confidence (and its shrinking because people are voting with their feet)
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