Los Angeles 2008: State of the City Report

Los Angeles 2008- State of the City Report has been published by the Edmund G. Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State LA.

This annual report of the state of the City of LA examines topical social, political and economic matters facing LA and how it. fairs in relation to these issues. The report is written by several policy experts. This year, the report examines the following: housing (housing supply, number of foreclosures, new housing units built, affordable housing deficits in L.A.), the job market (employment, income distribution, earnings per job), health (the aging population, violence, substance abuse and causes of death and premature death), education (student performance, and school reform in L.A. Unified School District), strategies for creating smart growth and more. Broad policy options of some of the issues examined are also provided.

Selected Findings:

• Over the next ten years, the City of L.A. will lose more than 20,000 affordable housing units due to expiration of affordable agreements (pg. 7).
• In 2007, 90% of the city's housing units that were built were affordable only to families earning more than $71,700 (pg. 5).
• One quarter of L.A. City households in 2007 had incomes less than $25,000 (pg. 10).
• The cost of living in LA is 48% higher than the national average (pg. 11).
• Child obesity (5th, 7th and 9th graders) in the City of L.A. (which grew from 19.6% in 1999 to 25.3% in 2007), is three times less prevalent in Brentwood-Pacific Palisades than it is for the Harbor Gateway area (pg. 17).
• Drug overdose is the 6th leading cause of premature death in the City of L.A. (pg.19).
• Out of 80 school districts in L.A. County, LA Unified ranks 71st based on district API (Academic Performance Index) scores (pg.22).
• About 73% of students in the L.A. Unified School District qualify for free or reduced priced lunch programs (a proxy for low income households) (pg. 22).