Action Alert: Vacancy Tax Ballot Measure

by L.A. Area Chamber

Background

The Los Angeles City Council will be voting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to place a vacancy tax on the November 2020 ballot that would come in the form of a parcel tax for property owners. City of Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCID) released a report that states in Los Angeles there is no reliable source for vacancy data and says “HCIDLA cautions against using these estimates to make broader claims about the health of the housing market or as a reason to limit new housing development.” This will also deter development from the City and will make it even less desirable to build housing in Los Angeles while we are in the midst of a housing crisis.

 

Meeting and Agenda Item

The Los Angeles City Council is meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. To view the meeting please click here. The Council agenda item is No. 33.

 

Take Action

Call your local L.A. City Council member and tell them you are OPPOSED to this ballot measure. Make public comment for agenda item 33 on tomorrow’s council agenda.

 

Share the Business Voice

• We urge the City Council to note and file this item and not approve a ballot measure for Nov. 2020.
• There is no correct way to collect data on vacant units and it would be incredibly difficult to enforce.
• A vacancy tax does not solve our housing crisis, it instead will hinder development when we critically need to build housing at all levels.
• The city’s vacancy rates are incredibly low and we need to implement policies that incentivize and ease the creation of new housing units, not hinder their development.
• There has been no stakeholder input. We would like to understand the impacts to business and how this would be imposed.

 

Contact Information