The LA City Council voted 12-0 to send a measure that calls for the utilization of vacant hotel rooms for the unhoused to be put on the March 2024 election ballot. Under the proposal, hotels with 15 or more rooms would be required to continually report vacancies to the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD). The LAHD ran program would then commence referrals for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and pay “fair market rate” to the hotels through prepaid vouchers.
The initiative would also add additional affordable housing requirements for new hotel developments with 100 rooms or more that replace existing housing units. Developers would be required to provide a proportional number of affordable housing units at the hotels or in the surrounding neighborhood. To read the motion, click here.