Friday, February 11, 2022

Supervisor Barger Champions Net-Zero Sustainable Housing Developments

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion on Tuesday by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that will help large-scale housing and other major development projects in unincorporated communities embrace and incorporate environmentally friendly net-zero energy solutions.

“Our board is serious about finding pathways to building new housing,” Barger said. “In unincorporated communities, more than 90,000 additional housing units must be accommodated in our land use plans to meet statewide housing demand. Large scale development and sustainability shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. My motion helps future housing development projects evolve by analyzing what it takes to achieve zero-net energy development standards in those communities.”

The heart of the motion is a call for county subject matter experts to develop a net-zero feasibility analysis, based on input and insights from both private industry and labor partners, that can help developers overcome challenges.

The county’s Fifth District is home to some of the largest new developments in the region, including the FivePoint Valencia and Tejon Ranch Centennial projects. The former has committed to being net-zero and is proof that housing development can be done sustainably.

“We must do everything in our power to integrate sustainability and environmentally friendly energy standards into current and future development,” said Barger. “If we don’t pursue these efforts, it would be a missed opportunity for generations to come. We simply can’t afford that.”