The Eldercare Facility Ordinance of Los Angeles: A Synthetic Control Analysis of Residential Care Development and Growth

Abstract

The 2006 eldercare facility ordinance of Los Angeles was designed to streamline permitting of senior housing development in the jurisdiction. Using California State Department of Social Services residential care and census place data, this study compares the pre and post effect of the ordinance on the number of large residential care facilities developed in Los Angeles with a comparison group using synthetic control analysis. In posttreatment, Los Angeles shows up to 33 percent more facilities per ten thousand older adults per year more than the synthetic control, underscoring the importance of such ordinances in increasing senior housing development in Los Angeles.