Project PowerHouse Cuts through Red Tape to Expedite Affordable Housing
By Carol Tucker
When Mayor Karen Bass issued Executive Directive 1 declaring a state of emergency on homelessness in Los Angeles, she called on City departments to expedite approvals for affordable housing. LADWP jumped into action. To help the City achieve the Mayor’s goal to house 17,000 Angelenos by the end of December 2023, LADWP introduced Project PowerHouse, which streamlines access to electrical services for 100 percent affordable housing builders. These are new or converted multi-family residential housing complexes in which all of the units are designated for income-qualified households.
Since the launch of the Mayor’s Executive Directive 1, 29 projects have been placed in service and benefited from the expedited approval timeline of Project PowerHouse. These projects have already provided 1,849 new affordable or permanent supportive housing units in the City of L.A.
“This program is where the rubber meets the road. We are rising to the challenge and helping reduce homelessness in Los Angeles. We’re significantly reducing the timelines for getting new and converted 100 percent affordable housing wired to the grid, and doing so at no extra cost to housing builders or residents,” said Winifred Yancy, Director of Power New Business and Electrification.
There are nearly 570 affordable housing projects being developed in the city, and LADWP is handling electric service applications for about half of those at any given time.
Spearheaded by the Power New Business and Electrification Division with support from a task force representing a number of divisions and business groups, Project PowerHouse has reduced by 86 percent LADWP’s timeline for the development review, engineering and construction of 100 percent affordable housing.
To show her appreciation for employee efforts to support this program, Board of Water and Power Commissioners President Cynthia McClain-Hill met with about 100 employees involved in Project PowerHouse at LADWP’s Wall Street facility on July 26.
“I wanted to let you know in person that what you do matters so very much. There’s not a single initiative that I carry that isn’t completely reliant on and rooted in my faith and my confidence that you can rise to the occasion and do it. I tell everyone every chance I get that the Department of Water and Power employees are the best in the city, best in the state and best in the nation. So, thank you very, very much.”
Cynthia McClain-Hill
Board of Water and Power Commissioners President
The Project PowerHouse team includes three dedicated full-time staff: Electrical Engineering Associates Albert Ha, Eric Webb and Tianchen Lu. They work with staff from a variety of business groups who comprise LADWP’s Affordable Housing Task Force and bring in other employees from their groups as needed. The task force meets weekly to identify the priority projects based on a list of approved affordable housing projects provided by the City Building and Safety Department and Planning Department. The list is cross-referenced with applications for electric service connections.
“The biggest factor in the program’s success is the support we’re getting from across divisions and from all levels of LADWP. Everyone is doing their part.”
Emil Abdelshehid
Assistant Director, Power New Business and Electrification
The team meets with project developers to explain the requirements and identify potential obstacles. Once LADWP receives a completed package, staff can begin design work, which is followed by construction of the electric service connections and supporting infrastructure. “We take a surgical approach that is specific for each project. This approach has accelerated the design process significantly,” Abdelshehid said.
Along with the dedicated team and support staff, LADWP business groups that contribute to the success of Project PowerHouse include:
· Service Planning
· Electric Service Representatives
· 34.5kV Circuit Design
· 4.8 kV Circuit Design
· Underground Structure Design
· Electrical and Civil Drafting
· Overhead Distribution Design
· All LADWP Construction Districts
· Power Construction and Maintenance
· Distribution System Development
· Meter Engineering
· Real Estate
· Survey and Right of Way
Photos by Chris Corsmeier
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