The Los Angeles Times reported today that Father Greg Boyle, founder of nonprofit Homeboy Industries has retracted his support for the proposed ballot measure, the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative. According to the Times, Boyle “retracted his support Monday for a proposed ballot measure targeting overdevelopment, saying it won’t help Los Angeles create housing for the working poor.”
Father Greg Boyle, Homeboy’s founder and an influential figure in the city’s fight against poverty, was named last week as one of the newest community leaders to favor the proposed Neighborhood Integrity Initiative. Four days later, he announced he had studied the measure further — and concluded he should remain neutral.
The Neighborhood Integrity Initiative calls for a two-year moratorium on approving any projects that require special entitlements from the city. Backers say it would still permit developers to build projects that fit the current zoning but would stop the process of “spot zoning” (approving each project individually rather than in the context of an overall community plan).
The measure has prompted much discussion about the current planning and approval process in the city. While there is general agreement the process needs improvement, there is no consensus on how to achieve it. The Buzz will continue to follow this story.
