L.A. measures could fund affordable housing, park improvements

Proposition SP, an 8.4 cent per square foot parcel tax imposed on residential and commercial businesses to raise money for park improvements across the city. (Image Courtesy of Channone)

As voters head to the polls Tuesday, three city propositions on the ballot in Los Angeles could prove crucial to the city’s effort to reduce homelessness and fund improvements for parks and other public spaces.

Perhaps the most impactful of the three is Measure ULA, the so-called “mansion tax,” which would impose a tax on real estate sales above $5 million, with the funds going to various homelessness and tenant protection programs. The measure, backed by a large group of unions and progressive groups, could raise more than $600 million every year. 

Supporters of the measure cite the need for additional affordable housing money as current funds are expected to dwindle over the next few years. United to House LA, the proposal’s main backer, argues the initiative would “reduce homelessness, make housing more affordable and protect low-income seniors.” Opponents argue that the tax could affect a lot more than just the “mansions” its nickname suggests. In fact, around 75% of the tax would be levied on multifamily and commercial properties. 

Also on the ballot is Proposition SP, an 8.4 cent per square foot parcel tax imposed on residential and commercial businesses to raise money for park improvements across the city. The tax would exempt low-income households and be prioritized by the L.A. Equity Index, directing funds to neighborhoods most in need of park improvements. Unlike ULA, which only requires a simple majority, Proposition SP needs a two-thirds majority to succeed. 

Zaid Diaz-Arias, a junior majoring in public policy and an L.A. City Youth Council Member for District 2, is originally from North Hollywood. Having seen the vast differences in park quality across different neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, he supports Proposition SP. 

“When I see and compare the differences between, for instance, parks in North Hollywood and parks in Sun Valley … and compare those to ones in Granada Hills or Porter Ranch, it’s very different,” Diaz-Arias said. “And they’re both in Los Angeles.”

Rounding out the trio is Proposition LH, which would authorize the city to build or acquire an additional 75,000 income-restricted affordable housing units. The proposition does not guarantee the development of nor provide the funding for the additional units; it simply raises the limit for affordable housing units that the city can manage without voter approval. 

Most local groups have supported LH, citing the need for more affordable housing to keep up with increased demand. The official Los Angeles ballot measures pamphlet received no endorsements against LH. 

Hoangnha Vo, a first-year graduate student studying applied data science, expressed support for Proposition ULA, and tentatively supported Propositions LH and SP.

“It’d be good unless it raises costs [of living] as a result,” Vo said. 

Rianna Rios, a senior majoring in public policy, said she supports all three measures, but has concerns about the implementation of Propositions ULA and LH. 

“I want to make sure that people look at the details of implementation,” Rios said. “We have many districts and many districts enforce different forms of implementation … We can pass it, but we have to make sure the enforcement is not vague because every district has different constituents and different stakeholders.”