Overview & Background The affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles is well-documented. Affordable housing is housing that a household can pay for while still having money left over for other necessities like food, transportation, and health care. In 2016, Los Angeles voters passed Measure HHH, a $1.2 billion bond to subsidize the development of 10,000 units of affordable and permanent supportive housing. The first affordable apartments financed under the ballot opened in January 2020 and there are many project proposals awaiting approval and construction. For this assignment, you will be writing a persuasive letter to a government official, urging that mitigation measures to reduce exposure to air pollution be taken for all new affordable housing projects. These measures may include: Using double-glazed windows Using filters for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning that remove 90% of particles in the 1-3 µm range Planting additional trees on nearby streets While it is optional to send your letter, you have the right to engage your government officials around matters that are important to you and this shows you one option for how to do so. You will be addressing your letter to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, a department in Los Angeles that works to promote civic engagement and make the government more responsive to local needs. The map below shows a few locations of existing and planned locations for affordable housing developments near Los Angeles. (There are many more located all throughout Southern California!) Click on the house icons on the map to learn more about each site.