Los Angeles Ballot Measure Raises Hope for a Housing Solution

Los Angeles voters approved a ballot measure in November to address the city’s housing crisis, which has left tens of thousands of people without a place to live, many more priced out of the area and prompted recently elected Mayor Karen Bass, to declare a state of emergency. The measure, known as United to House LA, or ULA, is designed to provide immediate protection for tenants in need and to fund long-term housing solutions.

A similar housing crisis is erupting across the country, with reports showing that even places that were once affordable are no longer. In Los Angeles, the spread and implementation of the ULA could become a model for dealing with homelessness in other cities and states.

Before Los Angeles enacted an eviction moratorium and rent freeze in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of evictions were happening every day. With these protections likely to expire in 2023, this could once again be the reality for thousands of households across the city.

Across the country, many are already living this reality. Communities across the country are facing rising rents, housing shortages and eviction rates that are approaching or even surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

But in Los Angeles, the passage of the ULA raises hope of preventing this looming crisis for people at risk of losing their homes by creating new protections for renters, helping vulnerable people directly and funding new affordable housing. Eviction is among the leading causes of homelessness across the country. Currently, few tenants in eviction proceedings are represented by a lawyer, reducing their ability to mount a defense or protect their rights. The ballot initiative works to solve this problem by dedicating funds to legal services for low-income families facing eviction.

The new housing the initiative plans to create also avoids the common shortcomings of other housing programs by guaranteeing permanent affordability for low-income families.

The measure will also help prevent eviction cases from being brought in the first place by providing short-term rental assistance to vulnerable families, including rent-burdened seniors and people living with disabilities, as well as other families low-income lagging behind. for rent due to economic shocks.

In the long term, the initiative is estimated to add over 26,000 new affordable homes over the next ten years. Funded by a 4 to 5.5 percent tax on the sale of property worth more than $5 million, it will begin to address the severe shortage of affordable homes for lower-income families.

The new housing the initiative plans to create also avoids the common shortcomings of other housing programs by guaranteeing permanent affordability for low-income families. The affordability protections of many current housing subsidy programs are allowed to expire after a certain period. In Los Angeles alone, nearly 6,000 homes will lose their affordability restrictions by 2026, giving landlords the opportunity to raise rents and putting renters at risk of displacement.

Tenant protection, rental assistance and permanently more affordable housing address the root causes of homelessness. This holistic approach is a break from policies that harm those who already bear the burden of a lack of affordable housing.

In passing the measure, voters made the choice to create fairer cities where everyone, regardless of income, can have a place to call home, a choice that communities across the country should emulate.

This column is produced by Progressive Perspectives, which is operated by The Progressive magazine and distributed by Tribune News Service.