LOS ANGELES — Councilmember Ysabel Jurado today advanced a set of recommendations to strengthen Measure ULA, marking a major milestone in the City’s ongoing effort to expand affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and improve how Los Angeles delivers housing resources to working families. The recommendations, developed through weeks of public hearings and stakeholder testimony, will now move to the full City Council for consideration.
“Angelenos voted for Measure ULA because they want a city where working families can afford to stay, where renters are protected, and where we are serious about addressing homelessness and the housing crisis,” said Councilmember Jurado. “This process was about making sure ULA delivers on the promise voters believed in. Over the last several weeks, we brought together advocates, labor, affordable housing leaders, service providers, City departments, and community members to take an honest look at what is working, what is not, and what needs to improve. The recommendations we are advancing today are about strengthening accountability, speeding up delivery, getting more affordable housing built, and making sure these resources reach the people who need them most. This is a major step forward in ensuring Measure ULA remains strong, effective, and capable of delivering real results for Angelenos for years to come.”
As the Councilmember leading the Ad Hoc Committee, Jurado led a citywide public review process that brought together housing advocates, labor leaders, service providers, affordable housing developers, policy experts, City departments, and community stakeholders to examine how Measure ULA is working on the ground and where improvements are needed.
The recommendations advanced today focus on strengthening implementation and long-term impact, including new pathways to move unhoused Angelenos into permanent housing, stronger oversight and reporting requirements, improved accountability measures, and tools to accelerate affordable housing production and preservation:
Creating a time-limited dedicated pathway using ULA funds to move unhoused Angelenos into permanent housing;
Expanding reporting requirements of the ULA Citizens Oversight Committee to ensure the City Council receives regular recommendations and clearer oversight on program performance, implementation, and fund delivery;
Exploring the feasibility of issuing revenue bonds backed by future ULA revenue to further the purpose and mission of Measure ULA by accelerating affordable housing production and preservation;
Establishing a temporary, targeted transfer-tax exemption for qualified affordable housing developments to spur production and ensure more affordable housing gets built; and
Directing a long-term evaluation of ULA’s economic, housing, and programmatic impacts.
Following weeks of testimony, data review, and public input, Jurado also stated that she does not believe the City should move forward with a ballot measure at this time. The committee’s review found it remains too early to fully evaluate Measure ULA’s long-term impacts and that many implementation challenges can be addressed through targeted reforms and technical improvements without weakening the measure or risking critical funding for affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs.
Jurado also reiterated support for advancing technical amendments identified by the Los Angeles Housing Department to remove administrative and financing barriers that can delay affordable housing projects. Because those changes fall within the City’s existing authority under Measure ULA and do not require voter approval, Jurado emphasized the importance of moving quickly to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary delays, and help housing resources reach communities faster.
The recommendations advanced today mark the culmination of the Ad Hoc Committee’s scheduled hearing process and the most significant Council-led review of Measure ULA since voters approved the measure in 2022. They will now move to the full City Council for consideration.