About AHLA

Our Mission & Vision

AHLA is a grassroots nonprofit organization working to solve Los Angeles County’s housing affordability crisis by advocating to build more homes at all levels of affordability and making those homes easier to build. We are composed of community members dedicated to making housing more affordable.

AHLA envisions a Los Angeles County where every resident can find an affordable home that meets their needs in the neighborhood of their choice, with a range of mobility options. We aspire to build sustainable, diverse, interconnected communities that prioritize accessibility, minimize car dependency, and foster healthier, more inclusive environments for all.

Our message is simple: for too long, cities have made it illegal to build the housing we need through apartment bans and single-family zoning restrictions, and have made it too difficult and expensive to build housing through onerous permitting regulations. We believe that we need to build more homes, particularly in infill areas and near transit, if we are to lower housing costs, solve our climate crisis, and avoid displacement.

Group of diverse people smiling and posing together indoors, with bookshelves filled with books and vinyl records in the background.

To realize this vision, we need housing abundance.

Stacks of coins arranged in increasing order, with a wooden block with holes resembling a face, on a reflective surface outdoors.

Affordability

We believe that building more homes will make housing more affordable; nobody should have to spend more than a third of their income on housing.

Group of diverse people putting their hands together in a gesture of unity.

Inclusion

 We believe that people should be able to find housing that meets their needs without having to leave their neighborhood.

People posing in front of colorful 'LAKE' sign outdoors under palm trees on sunny day.

Livability

We believe that people should be able to live in pleasant, walkable neighborhoods near jobs and have a high quality of life.

Group of six diverse children, five standing and one in a wheelchair, smiling at school hallway.

Human Rights

We believe housing is a human right and that Los Angeles’ mass homelessness is a human rights violation caused by the city’s housing shortage. We have a moral obligation to house everyone.

View of Los Angeles skyline with downtown buildings, palm trees, and mountains in the background.

Sustainability

We believe that dense, walkable neighborhoods are crucial for limiting sprawl and reducing car dependency and fossil fuel use, which is essential for the long-term health of our planet.

A protester holding a cardboard sign that reads, 'It's a privilege to educate yourself about racism instead of experiencing it!!!' during a crowd demonstration on a rainy day, with people holding umbrellas in an urban area.

Racial Justice

We believe the housing shortage stems from a history of racist practices aimed at maintaining segregation and addressing housing policy is essential to redressing America’s systemic racism.

As a 501(c)4 organization, we engage in political activity to support pro-housing candidates for office. Together with the Abundant Housing LA Education Fund, our 501(c)3 partner organization, we are the YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) voice for Los Angeles.

Get involved with Abundant Housing LA by becoming a member and signing up for our newsletter.

Our donors make this work possible. To donate to AHLA,  click here!