Council Requires Two Elevators in Senior Housing
West Hollywood's City Council approved a two-elevator rule for City-assisted senior and disability housing projects on a 5-0 vote.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in City Hall
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West Hollywood City Council voted 5-0 to require two elevators in City-assisted housing for seniors and people with disabilities, a change prompted by problems at the 77-unit Movietown Square building. The requirement was added through amendments to the City's affordable housing loan commitment letters and loan agreements.
Why it matters
Movietown Square has one elevator serving the whole six-story building, so a single outage can leave wheelchair users stuck in their apartments. Staff identified that lone elevator as a vulnerability any time it is out for maintenance.
The requirement applies to buildings with 40 or more units or four or more stories. Staff estimate a second elevator takes 60 to 100 square feet per floor and could displace one to three units or parking spaces.
The players
West Hollywood City Council
The five-member governing body of West Hollywood that approved the elevator requirement by a 5-0 vote.
Lauren Meister
A West Hollywood councilmember whose request to press Sacramento on state building rules was added to the motion.
West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation
The nonprofit that owns and operates the Movietown Square senior building in West Hollywood.
The details
Council also directed staff and lobbyists to press Sacramento on state building rules after Councilmember Lauren Meister's request was added to the motion. The Movietown Square building, owned and run by the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, also has a fire door that has allowed unauthorized people into its stairwell, prompting 24/7 monitored cameras.
Timeline
October 1, 2025: AB 130 freeze on residential building standards begins.
2024: Cabling replacement reduced elevator downtime at Movietown Square.
June 1, 2031: AB 130 freeze on residential building standards ends.
Legal Context
The council's action runs against AB 130, which freezes residential building standards from October 1, 2025 through June 1, 2031, limiting what cities can require through building codes during that window. Council therefore chose to impose the rule through the City's own affordable housing loan agreements rather than through the building code.
Future City-assisted senior and disability housing projects in West Hollywood will need two elevators if they meet the 40-unit or four-story threshold. Residents of existing single-elevator buildings may face outages without a backup.
The takeaway
Cities can use their own loan agreements to set building requirements when state code rules are frozen, as West Hollywood did for senior housing elevators. Residents of multi-story senior housing should check whether their building has a backup elevator.
Further reading
For more on local decisions like this, see City Hall coverage for West Hollywood.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WEHOonline.
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Should cities require senior housing to have backup elevators or equivalent access systems?
