There Goes the Neighborhood
'All These People Moving In, New Buildings, New Apartments'
Los Angeles is growing up, becoming denser and more urban. But there’s still not enough housing. Who is L.A. for? This eight-part series is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Southern California was built on the sale of sunlit homes in affordable real estate developments. But the many building booms of the past century haven't been enough. In just the past 15 years, Los Angeles has added 230,000 new residents, but only 40,000 new homes. The median cost of a home in L.A. has doubled in the last five years. Rent climbs ever upward.
Cesar Vega owns this small Hollywood home as cranes rise around him. "A lot of the people I grew up with aren’t here anymore, let alone the buildings that everyone used to live in and the homes that they use to live which have been bulldozed." –Cesar Vega. Photo credit: Saul Gonzalez
Downtown LA, as seen from a helicopter. Photo credit: Saul Gonzalez