Editorial: No, LA City Council should not amend Measure ULA

Housing is a human rights issue that impacts us all, especially in a city like Los Angeles, where nearly 50% of its inhabitants identify as Latino.

That is why we mustn’t allow Mayor Karen Bass, Council Member Nithya Raman, chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson to take money away from affordable housing.

We oppose any changes to the “United to House LA” measure, passed by voters in 2022. The measure places a 4% tax on property sales above $5 million and a 5.5% tax on sales above $10 million.

As of November of last year, Measure ULA had raised $1.032 billion.

Measure ULA is a lifeline for low-income families and struggling communities. Why then are councilmembers trying to take $100 million from ULA housing? Their goal is to place a measure on the June 2026 Los Angeles City ballot that would amend the so-called mansion tax.

Critics of the measure insist that ULA “has only spent $1.5 million” to fund affordable housing developments.

But the critique aligns with the same real estate interests that fought ULA at the ballot box and in court, and it continues to mislead about its impacts and ignore its benefits. 

A sky-is-falling narrative about its economic impact has unraveled over the last year, as the steady increase in residential construction and real estate activity has continued. With the proposed amendment, city leaders are offering tax breaks to billionaires and developers without even trying to stop an anti-tax ballot measure from passing, as in previous negotiations.

Affordable housing projects often use money from multiple sources, and ULA funding may be the last to be drawn down, or the funds may already be destined for other projects. Other delays fall at the hands of opponents, as lawsuits create hesitation to spend or build, and property owners have held off sales and development to see if they could avoid paying into it. 

The impact of Measure ULA can be measured. It has advanced 795 affordable homes, with thousands more anticipated following a standard-setting $387 million ULA-supported funding round. It has helped over 10,000 renters remain housed through emergency rental assistance, eviction defense and tenant-protection programs.

The measure has also accelerated the creation of thousands of construction jobs for local workers building affordable housing in their own communities.

As of November 2025, the measure has funded the following:

• 187 units at Santa Monica & Vermont

• 177 units at the Enlightenment Plaza apartment buildings in East Hollywood (soon to open)

• 104 units at Peak Plaza are under construction

• 48 units at Grace Villas will soon commence construction 

• 105 units at Alveare Family, 64 units at The Main and 110 units at Chavez Gardens are in planning

ULA revenue can be tracked on the Los Angeles Housing Department dashboard.

Recent actions at L.A. City Hall prevented a vote on the measure’s amendment introduced on Friday, but it remains active as it is reviewed in legislative committees.

We urge city council members to listen to the voters who overwhelmingly approved the measure over three years ago and to heed the warnings from the same housing advocates, policy experts and working people who helped make the measure a reality.