The Los Angeles Post

YES ON ULA STATEMENT ON PROJECTED PASSAGE OF MEASURE ULA

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Likely victory for historic measure — written by experts, placed on ballot by citizens, backed by a broad grassroots coalition — demonstrates that Angelenos are ready for bold solutions to the housing and homelessness crisis

LOS ANGELES, CA — With nearly half a million votes counted, Measure ULA, the largest housing ballot measure in American history, appears all but guaranteed to pass into law with the support of Los Angeles City voters—55.76% as of 3:32 pm on Monday, November 14. The Yes on ULA campaign released the following statement:

 

“We won this campaign because Angelenos decided that it’s time to roll up our sleeves and invest in proven solutions to our chronic housing and homelessness crises,” said Laura Raymond, co-chair of the YES ON ULA Coalition and executive director of the Alliance for Community Transit-Los Angeles. “This measure was drafted and put on the ballot by the community, not politicians or government, and thousands of people joined our campaign to ensure this win.  Measure ULA will be LA’s biggest sustained investment in homelessness prevention and affordable housing ever, enabled by making sure that those raking in profits at the very top of our real estate market are contributing their fair share to supporting the needs of everyone else. This election, LA said yes to the principle that everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home.”

 

The 230 organizations that endorsed Measure ULA mobilized 830 volunteers from signature gathering through the final days of get-out-the-vote. They made contact with 142,523 voters throughout the campaign—and faced down a $7.4 million onslaught of deceptive real-estate industry campaigning.

 

“This victory is a victory for the community organizations who rallied to pass this measure. It is a victory for the community members who trusted the experts, not the politicians, to develop the best solutions, for the people power that put these solutions on the ballot themselves, for Angelenos who will reap the benefits of a fairer, kinder city, and for the tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness and the hundreds of thousands living on its edge,” said April Verrett, co-chair of the YES on ULA coalition and President of SEIU 2015. “And it’s a victory over the millions of dollars of dark money that big real estate interests poured into lies that sought to undermine humane policy in the name of higher profits. The passage of Measure ULA makes it clear that voters remain committed to ending the crisis of homelessness and are willing to bankroll new, innovative solutions at a scale that will get the job done. When the people come together for justice, no force can stop us.”

 

Measure ULA is estimated to raise between $600 million to $1.1 billion per year through a one-time real estate transfer tax on sales of properties over $5 million, funds that will be used for direct financial assistance to low-income seniors, rental assistance, purchase of hotels for affordable housing, the construction of new affordable housing using both established and innovative models, and legal assistance for tenants threatened with eviction. It would affect roughly 4% of annual sales in the City of Los Angeles. With Measure ULA’s passage, the one-time “mansion tax” will begin on April 1, 2023.

 

Measure ULA will:

  • Invest in innovative solutions that will create housing faster and at a lower cost than what has been tried before

  • Assist up to 475,000 Angelenos each year through direct financial assistance, rental assistance or eviction defense

  • Immediately buy existing and build new affordable housing for 69,000 people (in the first ten years) experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness

  • Leverage real estate transactions of $5 million or more so that only millionaires and billionaires pay

It also includes the most robust citizens oversight and transparency in LA City history; the fund would be overseen by a Citizens Committee with specific expertise and lived experience on housing and homelessness & supported by paid staff led by an Inspector General.