ULA – LAHD

United to House LA (ULA) is a sustainable funding stream dedicated to affordable housing production and homelessness prevention in the City of Los Angeles.

Seventy percent of the ULA program funds the Affordable Housing Program, which supports the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing. Thirty percent of the ULA program funds the Homelessness Prevention Program, which supports efforts to stabilize lower-income tenants and prevent their displacement from their homes. Each program includes several key program categories, described below.

Funding for all program categories is generated by an additional special real property transfer tax on conveyances of real property over $5 million. ULA went into effect on January 1, 2023, and applicable property sale tax collections began on April 1, 2023.

The ULA ballot measure was drafted by a broad-based community coalition, endorsed by more than 200 local organizations, and approved by 58% of Los Angeles voters in the November 2022 election.

Read ULA Ordinance

Affordable Housing Program

Multifamily Affordable Housing: The Multifamily Affordable Housing Program will catalyze the development of affordable housing.

Alternative Models for Permanent Affordable Housing: The Alternative Models for Permanent Affordable Housing Program will facilitate the creation of innovative, permanently affordable housing models while cultivating resident leadership and ownership within housing projects.

Acquisition and Rehabilitation of Affordable Housing: The Acquisition and Rehabilitation of Affordable Housing Program will preserve existing subsidized and naturally-occurring affordable housing by providing the funding needed for acquisition and rehabilitation, and supporting a pathway to resident ownership of housing.

Homeownership Opportunities: The Homeownership Opportunities Program will promote long-term housing security and wealth-building via homeownership assistance for lower-income Angelenos.

Capacity-Building: The Capacity-Building Program will support successful outcomes for resident-led housing models, including tenant engagement, leadership, management, and ownership of housing.

Operating Assistance: The Operating Assistance Program will provide operating support for projects, in order to support long-term stability of affordable housing.

Homelessness Prevention Program

Short-Term Emergency Assistance: The Short-Term Emergency Assistance Program will provide short-term emergency funding to tenants who are at risk of losing their housing due to economic shocks.

Income Support for Rent-Burdened At-Risk Seniors and Persons with Disabilities (Income Support Program): The Income Support Program will provide income assistance to lower-income renters — specifically, rent-burdened households with seniors and/or persons with disabilities that are at risk of becoming homeless.

Eviction Defense/Prevention: The Eviction Defense and Prevention Program will provide funding for a right-to-counsel program to provide housing-related legal services to lower-income households threatened with eviction.

Tenant Outreach and Education: The Tenant Outreach and Education Program will provide outreach, education, and navigation services to help ensure that tenants are educated about their rights, understand how to exercise their rights, and avail themselves of available resources.

Protections from Tenant Harassment: The Protections from Tenant Harassment Program will fund monitoring and enforcement of protections against tenant harassment, and support education and outreach activities related to tenant rights.

Dashboards

ULA includes robust data tracking and reporting mandates. Data dashboards provide up-to-date, interactive information on the implementation and impact of ULA.

Citizen Oversight Committee

The ULA Citizen Oversight Committee (COC) was created to oversee and monitor the implementation of ULA. Materials related to the ULA COC, including meeting agendas and materials, are available on the ULA COC landing page.

Guidelines

ULA includes an Affordable Housing Program and a Homelessness Prevention Program, each of which includes several program categories. Program Guidelines provide additional details and parameters on the implementation of those programs.

Exemptions

The Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) administers requests for ULA tax exemptions on conveyances of real property over $5 million for qualified purchasers who develop and/or operate affordable housing, pursuant to Section 21.9.14 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. Further information and guidance is available on the ULA Exemptions page.