Every night in Southern California, tens of thousands of our neighbors sleep on sidewalks, in cars and under bridges. At the same time, office towers across Los Angeles sit dark and unused, their floors empty long after the pandemic and work from home mandates have ended.

This is more than a moral failure – it’s a glaring market inefficiency. We are in the middle of a historic housing shortage, and yet we leave habitable buildings vacant. The crisis isn’t just a lack of supply. It’s a lack of urgency, political will and accountability.

California needs an estimated 2.5 million new homes by 2030. Los Angeles alone accounts for a huge share of that gap, with more than 75,000 people already unhoused. State and local leaders have poured billions of dollars into programs meant to address this crisis, but recent audits uncovered $1.8 billion in funds that remain unaccounted for. Meanwhile, promised projects are stuck in endless cycles of zoning fights, Coastal Commission reviews and public hearings. 

Money has been spent, significant money; very little has been built.

It does not have to be this way.

As a veteran adaptive reuse expert, I have seen how quickly, and effectively underutilized buildings can be transformed into housing. In 1999, Los Angeles passed an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance that spurred the creation of more than 12,000 units downtown, breathing new life into old office buildings. The city has this year looked to extend this into other parts of Los Angeles.

Other cities have followed this path. In Denver, the historic Petroleum Building now houses 228 residents. Long Beach and Inglewood have quietly created affordable apartments through reuse projects. And architecture firms like Gensler are proving how quickly and creatively offices can be transformed into homes.

Adaptive reuse works because it is faster, cheaper and greener than building from scratch. A typical conversion can be completed in 12 to 18 months, compared to three to five years for new construction. Costs are often 20-30% lower, and the environmental benefits are undeniable – fewer demolitions, less waste and a smaller carbon footprint.

Here in Southern California, the potential is staggering. Office vacancy rates in downtown Los Angeles are nearing 30%. If we converted even 10% of that vacant space, we could create more than 20,000 new housing units. And this is just one segment of the market. Empty hotels, struggling retail centers and even surplus government buildings could all be repurposed into affordable housing or supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness.

The barriers are not technical – they are political and cultural. Developers face restrictive zoning and permitting rules that can take years to navigate. Community opposition stalls projects before they break ground, even in neighborhoods that call themselves progressive. Service providers are often reluctant to take on the hardest cases, and lenders are cautious about financing conversions. All the while, the city hemorrhages taxpayer dollars with little to show for it.

We cannot afford more of the same. Policymakers must act now to expand Los Angeles’ Adaptive Reuse Ordinance across the county and fast-track approvals for conversion projects. The state should offer tax incentives and low-interest loans for developers who commit to affordability, while holding agencies accountable for every dollar spent. At the local level, we need public-private partnerships with nonprofits, housing authorities, and service providers to make sure these projects succeed on the ground.

We must also think creatively. In addition to large-scale conversions, cities should embrace smaller interventions: purchasing tiny homes for vacant lots, using federal buildings for workforce housing and modular developments that can be delivered in months, not years. Each unit created eases pressure, lowers prices and brings us closer to solving homelessness.

The people of Southern California have been promised solutions for more than a decade. Instead, we have seen squandered funds, empty promises and empty buildings. It is time to stop wasting money and start producing housing.

Every empty building is a missed opportunity – and every missed opportunity leaves families on the streets or going into debt with the high cost of housing.

The answer is right in front of us. We just need the courage to act.

Richard Rubin is a veteran adaptive reuse expert, with more than 20 years of experience in the space. He has converted buildings in his native South Africa and across the United States. He is a resident of Los Angeles.