LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Mayor Bass’ proposed funding plan to use Measure ULA dollars to fund tenant protection programs including rental assistance and new construction of more affordable housing today. This approval comes at a critical time when tenants across Los Angeles are facing eviction.
“In order to successfully confront this homelessness crisis, we have to ensure that we are doing all we can to prevent Angelenos from falling into homelessness in the first place,” said Mayor Bass. “I want to thank Councilmember Raman and the rest of the City Council for taking this important action. Now, we must turn to ensuring that these resources reach those who need them most.”
“Today is a momentous day for Los Angeles,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman and Chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee. “With over 44,000 Angelenos without a permanent home in the City of Los Angeles and with evictions surging, the need for these funds has never been more pronounced. I am so grateful to our incredible partners at the United to House L.A. Coalition, the L.A. Housing Department, and the leadership of Mayor Bass and my colleagues Councilmembers Blumenfield and Hernandez, for helping us get to the finish line and approving the inaugural $150 million expenditure plan for the implementation of Measure ULA.”
With this approval, the Los Angeles Housing Department is planning to launch the Short-Term Emergency Assistance program to prevent as many potential evictions as possible in mid-September. Tenant Outreach and Education will also be funded by Measure ULA to help ensure that tenants are aware of upcoming deadlines for back rent to be repaid and their rights. This funding plan will also support the Eviction Defense/Prevention program to provide eligible at-risk households with legal support.
"I am pleased to see that the first $150 million from this significant new revenue stream is now on its way to doing the work the voters intended," said City Council President Paul Krekorian. "Among other things, these funds will assist rent-burdened families and seniors, and expedite construction of affordable multifamily housing on City-owned land. This is exactly what was promised when Angelenos voted for Measure ULA, and now that promise is being fulfilled."
“This plan will swiftly put real dollars to work helping L.A.’s most vulnerable and we can’t wait a moment longer,” said Councilmember Blumenfield and Chair of the Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee. “Regardless of pending litigation, it’s imperative to move forward with a mechanism to start spending the $150 Million we committed during the budget process because lives are literally on the line.”
"When L.A. voters overwhelmingly passed Measure ULA last November, they voted in favor of funding permanent supportive housing, creating programs and resources for tenants who are at-risk of homelessness, and building the deeply affordable housing stock that our City desperately needs to address our housing and homelessness crisis," said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. "I'm proud to stand with the coalition of advocates and my colleagues at the City to uphold the will of the voters and ensure that Measure ULA is funded and implemented with the urgency it deserves."
The Measure ULA expenditure plan includes:
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$18,400,000 for a Short-Term Emergency Assistance Program that will allow eligible low-income tenant households to apply for up to six months owed back rent due to a one time economic hardship. Priority eligibility shall be established for lower-income households.
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$23,000,000 for the Eviction Defense/Prevention program, to continue and expand the Stay Housed LA (SHLA) program, a partnership with the County, legal service providers and community organizations, that provides tenant households at risk of eviction, with legal support, “know your rights” education, and in limited cases, rental assistance through settlements with their landlords.
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$5,520,000 for a Tenant Outreach and Education program and campaign to provide broad and targeted tenant education outreach services, including workshops, legal clinics, paid and earned media, and targeted social media.
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$11,219,694 for a Protections from Tenant Harassment program. Funds will be allocated for infrastructure, technology, and community outreach, to educate tenants, as well as landlords, about their rights and obligations, and to enforce protections against tenant harassment. The City adopted the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO) (effective August 6, 2021) to protect tenants from harassment by landlords.
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$23,000,000 to provide rental subsidies and move-in assistance to low income seniors and people with disabilities, who are currently experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness.
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$56,860,306 for Multifamily Affordable Housing development to increase affordable housing units in the City with an initiative called “Accelerator Plus.” The program will fund “shovel-ready” affordable housing projects that are ready to quickly start or complete construction with an additional loan of no more than $12 million to close a financing gap.