Pacoima Rezoning: LA's Next Housing Development Wave

Los Angeles city planning staff filed documents on July 2 proposing to rezone 180 acres along the southern edge of Pacoima from light industrial to mixed-use residential categories that allow buildings up to five stories.

Why the timing matters now

The move follows a 2025 state housing element update that requires Los Angeles to add 255,000 new units by 2029, with the San Fernando Valley corridor targeted for a share of that total. Pacoima has sat outside the major rezoning waves that lifted values in nearby Sun Valley and Arleta, leaving parcels along Glenoaks Boulevard and the old Southern Pacific rail spur largely untouched by recent apartment construction.

Local detail shows the shift could affect sites near the Pacoima Wash Greenway trailhead and the historic Mission San Fernando Rey de España grounds, where several warehouse owners have already listed properties for sale in anticipation of higher density allowances. The Los Angeles Department of City Planning and the Pacoima Beautiful nonprofit both submitted letters supporting the change during the public comment period that closed last week.

Prices and building activity

Current median sale prices in Pacoima sit at $612,000, well below the citywide $870,000 figure reported by the Los Angeles County Assessor for June 2026. Accessory dwelling unit permits in the 91331 zip code rose 47 percent between 2023 and 2025, according to building department records, though most remain single-family conversions rather than new multifamily projects.

Developers watching the hearings can review the draft ordinance on the city planning website and attend the August 12 community meeting at the Pacoima Community Center on Van Nuys Boulevard. Property owners inside the proposed rezoning boundary should confirm their parcel status with the zoning information counter before the August 27 city council vote.