Measure ULA Spending Plan Approved in LA

On June 26, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council approved a Measure ULA spending plan totaling $544.3 million for the 2026 fiscal year, according to The Los Angeles Times. This milestone marks the largest allocation to date from Measure ULA, the city’s mansion tax revenue stream, and signals a concerted push to expand affordable housing and tenant protections during a period of ongoing housing pressures. The spending plan, which will be distributed over the 2026 fiscal year, calls for $381 million toward affordable housing programs and $163.3 million for homelessness prevention initiatives, according to the Times’ coverage of the decision. The City Clerk’s office confirmed that the related item—Measure ULA / United to House LA / Annual Expenditure Plan—was scheduled for Council consideration on June 26, 2026, providing the procedural backdrop for the approval. Los Angeles Times coverage on June 26, 2026 (latimes.com)

This news comes amid a years-long effort to translate Measure ULA revenue into tangible housing outcomes, with a continuous emphasis on balancing new construction with tenant protections and eviction assistance. The 2026 action builds on prior expenditure plans approved in 2024 and 2025, as LAHD and related city departments have worked to align allocations with the measure’s guidelines and oversight requirements. The measure’s fund—commonly referred to as the ULA fund or the United to House LA program—has evolved through a series of expenditure plans, program guidelines, and governance processes designed to ensure that revenue flows translate into concrete housing units, rental subsidies, and preventative services for those at risk of homelessness. For readers seeking deeper context, the City Clerk’s CFMS records confirm the ongoing schedule of ULA expenditure planning and the public notices that accompany each cycle. City Clerk filing 23-0038-S7: Annual Expenditure Plan (cityclerk.lacity.org)

Section 1: What Happened

A timeline of key milestones

• 2022: Measure ULA, known as the mansion tax, was enacted to fund affordable housing and tenant protections in Los Angeles. The measure adds a transfer tax on property sales above a threshold, with revenue dedicated to the House LA programs and related efforts. The foundational framework set the stage for subsequent expenditure planning and program guidelines. For background, LAHD and city records summarize the measure’s intent and fund structure as it began distributing revenue in the years that followed.
  • Supporting source: LA Housing Department overview of ULA and its funding framework. ULA – LAHD overview (housing.lacity.gov)
• 2024–2025: The City Council adopted the first substantial expenditure plan cycles under ULA, including interim program guidelines and three-year planning horizons that guided how revenues would be allocated across housing production, tenant assistance, and homelessness prevention. The 2024–25 adoptions and related reports laid the groundwork for multi-year implementation. The Council’s expenditure planning process is documented in the 2024–25 transmittal materials and associated reports. FY 24-25 Expenditure Plan Transmittal (6-26-24) (cityclerk.lacity.org)
• 2025: The Council continued refining expenditure plans, with the City Clerk publishing the FY 2025-26 Expenditure Plan materials that map expenditures for the current year and forecast for the next two. This ongoing governance work is reflected in the CFMS docket and related transmittals, including the official LAHD overview of ULA allocations for 2025–26. CF 23-0038-S7 Misc and Expenditure Plan Documents (cityclerk.lacity.org)
• June 26, 2026: The City Council approved the 2026 Measure ULA expenditure plan, with $544.3 million allocated for the year. The plan’s breakdown includes $381 million toward affordable housing programs and $163.3 million for homelessness prevention programs, described in detail by The Los Angeles Times in its coverage of the vote. The Times notes this action represents the largest single-year allocation to date. Los Angeles Times coverage (June 26, 2026) (latimes.com)
• Late June 2026: City Clerk scheduled the June 26, 2026 hearing for the expenditure plan in CFMS item 23-0038-S7, preserving the formal public process for review and adoption. This scheduling move is reflected in the City Clerk’s docket history. CFMS scheduling notice (June 23, 2026) (cityclerk.lacity.org)

Allocation breakdown

The 2026 Measure ULA expenditure plan allocates:

• $381 million toward affordable housing programs, aimed at increasing production capacity, preserving existing affordable stock, and financing housing-supportive services.
• $163.3 million toward homelessness prevention programs, funding eviction defense, rapid re-housing, rental assistance, and wraparound services to prevent displacement. These figures and their distribution reflect the city’s ongoing effort to align ULA revenue with measurable housing outcomes while maintaining oversight through program guidelines and quarterly reporting. The Los Angeles Times’ June 26, 2026 report emphasizes that this year’s plan represents a substantial step up in scale relative to prior years, signaling intensifying use of Measure ULA funds to address housing instability in a high-cost market. LA Times coverage, June 26, 2026 (latimes.com)

Section 2: Why It Matters

The housing-and-homelessness context in a changing city

Los Angeles has long faced a tension between accelerating housing production and protecting vulnerable tenants from displacement. Measure ULA was designed to channel revenue into both ends of this spectrum: funding new affordable units and sustaining tenant protections that prevent displacement during market upswings. The 2026 allocation, as described by the Times, reaffirms a trajectory toward larger annual investments in affordable housing and homelessness prevention, with particular emphasis on leveraging ULA funds to complement other housing resources. This is notable in a city with ongoing affordability gaps and persistent homelessness challenges, even as broader market dynamics continue to shift. LA Times June 26, 2026 coverage (latimes.com)

Governance, oversight, and transparency

The expenditure-planning process for Measure ULA blends legislative oversight, executive administration, and community input. City departments—primarily the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), the City Clerk, and related agencies—provide the framework for guidelines and expenditure plans, publish quarterly updates, and require annual reporting to ensure compliance with the measure’s statute and district priorities. This governance approach aims to maintain accountability for multi-year investments in housing and tenant-services while supporting a flexible response to emerging needs. Primary documents from City Clerk and LAHD detail the planning cycles, program guidelines, and implementation timelines that undergird each year’s expenditure plan. LAHD ULA overview (housing.lacity.gov) FY 25-26 Expenditure Plan Transmittal (June 11, 2025) (cityclerk.lacity.org)

The scale and its implications for communities

The 2026 allocation, at $544.3 million, stands out as the largest single-year expenditure from Measure ULA to date. This scale matters because it directly affects the pace at which new housing units can be brought online, the level of assistance available to tenants facing displacement, and the reach of homelessness-prevention programs in high-need neighborhoods. It also has policy implications for how the city coordinates with public and private partners, including housing developers, service providers, and neighborhood-based organizations, to ensure funds are deployed equitably and with measurable impact. The Times’ reporting highlights the political and administrative dimensions of such a major funding decision, including the fact that the measure’s revenue has faced politicization and scrutiny but remains central to the city’s housing strategy. LA Times coverage, June 26, 2026 (latimes.com)

Analyzing the broader market trend

From a market-trends perspective, the Measure ULA funding trajectory points to a city pushing more aggressively into housing affordability and tenant protection as part of its long-range development agenda. The 2026 plan’s emphasis on housing production, site acquisition on City-owned land, and targeted subsidies aligns with a broader trend in major U.S. cities where local taxes and dedicated funds are used to shore up affordable housing pipelines. Observers will be watching how the allocation interacts with private and public financing, the pace of new construction, and the extent to which ULA money catalyzes additional investments from other sources. City and housing advocates emphasize the need for ongoing performance metrics to tie dollars to unit creation, occupancy stability, and neighborhood-level outcomes. For readers tracking program updates, LAHD’s ongoing expenditure planning materials provide the formal roadmap and performance metrics used to gauge progress over time. ULA overview and three-year planning approach (housing.lacity.gov)

A note on public sentiment and impact on residents

Public reaction to large expenditures from Measure ULA varies by community, reflecting differences in housing pressures, local political dynamics, and perceptions of the measure’s effectiveness. Some residents and advocates praise the scale of investment as essential relief in the face of rising rents and housing costs, while critics question whether the funds are being allocated most efficiently or equitably. In a city with diverse neighborhood profiles, the distribution of dollars across citywide programs—ranging from new affordable units to tenant-advocacy initiatives—will continue to draw attention from community organizations, councils, and residents who bear the direct effects of housing affordability policies. The ongoing discourse around Measure ULA can be followed through city channels and coverage from major outlets that track the funding’s progress and challenges. LA Times June 26, 2026 coverage (latimes.com)

Section 3: What’s Next

Next steps for implementation and oversight

• Final administrative actions: After the Council’s approval, the measure’s 2026 expenditure plan moves to Mayor Karen Bass for final signature, as the Times indicates, before the funds are released to the LAHD and partner programs. The mayor’s approval completes the formal adoption phase, enabling contract awards, grant distributions, and program onboarding for the 2026 fiscal year. LA Times coverage, June 26, 2026 (latimes.com)
• Public reporting and transparency: The City Clerk’s office continues to publish expenditure-plan documents, quarterly updates, and implementation-status memos to ensure transparency and accountability for ULA funds. This ongoing publication cadence helps communities track progress toward the plan’s housing-production and homelessness-prevention targets. CFMS and related reports (cityclerk.lacity.org)

What to watch in the coming months

• Unit production and occupancy: As the 2026 expenditures begin to translate into new housing units, watchers will monitor how quickly new affordable units come online and how effectively ongoing programs preserve existing affordable stock. The 2026 plan’s emphasis on construction and preservation signals a push to increase the city’s inventory, while program guidelines emphasize tenant protections to sustain occupancy. In-depth program metrics are published in LAHD’s expenditure-plan materials, which break down unit production counts, funding for preservation, and related services. LAHD expenditure-plan materials (cityclerk.lacity.org)
• Homelessness-prevention outcomes: Homelessness prevention funding remains a high-priority, with targeted investments in eviction defense, rapid re-housing, and rental subsidies. Observers will look for changes in eviction rates, homelessness admissions, and stabilization outcomes in neighborhoods with high displacement risk. The Times’ report highlights the program breakdown and the focus on homelessness prevention as a major component of the 2026 plan. LA Times coverage (latimes.com)
• Oversight and adjustments: As with prior years, a key area to watch is whether quarterly reporting identifies any need to adjust allocations in response to project results, litigation risks, or shifts in revenue. City departments and the Los Angeles City Council have repeatedly signaled the importance of aligning ULA spending with outcomes and adjusting guidelines as needed to maximize impact without compromising long-term funding stability. The City Clerk’s and LAHD’s ongoing documents provide the framework for such adjustments. ULA governance framework (housing.lacity.gov)

Closing

The June 26, 2026 adoption of the Measure ULA spending plan marks a defining moment in Los Angeles’s housing policy, delivering a historic level of investment for affordable housing and homelessness prevention at a time when the city continues to grapple with affordability and displacement pressures. As the funds begin flowing through LAHD and partner programs, stakeholders—from builders and service providers to tenants and neighborhood groups—will be watching closely to see how the dollars translate into new homes, stabilized tenancies, and durable community outcomes. For readers who want to stay informed, city documents and major media coverage offer timely updates on implementation milestones, quarterly reports, and any adjustments to the expenditure plan that may arise in the coming year.

In the meantime, the city’s expenditure planning and oversight systems will continue to serve as a lens for evaluating whether Measure ULA’s ambitious spending plan achieves its stated goals and how the broader housing market responds to this substantial public investment. As the city moves into the next phase of ULA execution, observers and residents alike should keep a close eye on project pipelines, unit completions, and the measurable impacts on tenants’ lives, with updates published regularly by LAHD, the City Clerk, and independent observers.