Los Angeles has imposed an additional tax on luxury home sales to generate millions for housing efforts in the city. Shelterforce checks in on where the money has gone, and what’s to come.

Los Angeles's Measure ULA, a real estate transfer tax on properties over $5.15 million passed in 2022, has funded 800 affordable housing units and provided rental assistance to over 4,000 households. While revenue fell short of initial projections due to market conditions and legal challenges, the tax generated $40 million in November 2024 alone - its highest monthly total to date.
The city is now expanding the program's scope to include social housing initiatives like community land trusts, guaranteed income support for seniors, and a right-to-counsel program for tenants facing eviction. These expansions come as legal challenges to the measure appear to be resolving and market conditions improve.
"The big millionaire and billionaire interests continue to complain about ULA, but meanwhile, it's doing exactly what it's intended to do," says Joe Donlin of United to House LA. The program is expected to create 10,000 construction jobs while addressing housing affordability through multiple interventions.
With recent zoning reforms encouraging development and monthly revenues reaching new highs, officials expect the program's impact to grow in 2025. The first residents will move into ULA-funded units this year.
FULL STORY: What has Measure ULA Done so Far?

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Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

San Antonio Remains Affordable as City Grows
The city’s active efforts to keep housing costs down through housing reforms and coordinated efforts among city agencies and developers have kept it one of the most affordable in the nation despite its rapid population growth.

What Forest Service Cuts Mean for Cities
U.S. Forest Service employees work on projects that have impacts far beyond remote, rural wilderness areas.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
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