Brief

Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Tim McOsker, Nithya Raman, and Monica Rodriguez, seconded by Traci Park, moved to establish interim housing solutions including site acquisition and operational frameworks, with a community advisory board mechanism. The Housing and Homelessness Committee approved the motion as amended on September 6, 2023, Government Operations concurred on September 12, and Council adopted it unanimously 12-0 on September 19, 2023. A Chief Legislative Analyst report was referred back to both committees in March 2026, and the Watts Neighborhood Council submitted a community impact statement in July 2026.

Full summary

Triggered by the City's 2023 acquisition of the Mayfair Hotel for $83 million as its first City-owned interim housing site, this motion directed the Chief Legislative Analyst to develop a standardized citywide policy for how the City should acquire, rehabilitate, operate, and maintain interim housing properties going forward. The motion also called for analysis of community advisory boards, long-term lease options, conversion of interim sites to permanent housing, and the policy's relationship to the LA Alliance homelessness settlement agreement, which requires the City to create 12,915 new shelter or housing solutions by June 2027. The CLA's March 2026 report, now pending in committee, recommends that the City adopt the site acquisition policy framework previously developed by the City Administrative Officer, with several significant additions. Any site review would need to be initiated by a Council Motion rather than administratively. The newly created Bureau of Homelessness Oversight within the LA Housing Department would be required to conduct needs assessments, develop service plans, and hold town hall-style public meetings before any property acquisition is approved. The Bureau of Engineering would prepare a capital improvement plan for each recommended site, and the Department of City Planning would review sites for alignment with the City's Housing Element. The CLA also recommends that the Bureau of Homelessness work with the CAO to establish criteria for selecting property managers and to create a formal policy for Community Advisory Boards, which would include both housed and unhoused community members and be subject to the Brown Act. On operational costs, the report notes that the City's FY 2025-26 interim housing budget is approximately $319.3 million, drawing on sources including HHAP grants, Measure A, and the General Fund. Daily bed rates, set at $116 for sites with 50 or fewer beds and $89 for larger sites, cover housing, staffing, supply, and administrative costs. The CLA flags that all current funding sources are fully committed, leaving no unallocated ongoing funding stream for new acquisitions. The report also cautions that large-scale property acquisition may not be the most cost-effective strategy, noting that studies by LAHD and LAHSA have not demonstrated a need for additional interim housing beds, and recommending that the Bureau of Homelessness conduct a full system analysis before the City pursues further acquisitions. The motion passed the Housing and Homelessness Committee as amended on September 6, 2023, was concurred in by the Government Operations Committee on September 12, and was adopted by the full Council 12-0 on September 19, 2023. The CLA's follow-up report was referred back to both committees in March 2026 and remains pending there. The Watts Neighborhood Council submitted a community impact statement in July 2026, reflecting ongoing neighborhood-level attention to the policy.

Activity (12)

• 2026-08-28 City Clerk rereferred item to Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee; Homelessness and Health Committee, pursuant to Council File No. 26-2000.
• 2026-07-28 Community Impact Statement submitted by Watts Neighborhood Council.
• 2026-03-23 Chief Legislative Analyst document(s) referred to Government Operations Committee; Housing and Homelessness Committee.
• 2026-03-23 Document submitted by Chief Legislative Analyst, dated March 23, 2026.
• 2023-09-19 Council action final.
• 2023-09-19 Council adopted item forthwith.
• 2023-09-15 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on September 19, 2023.
• 2023-09-12 Government Operations Committee concurred with the Housing and Homelessness Committee action of September 6, 2023.
• 2023-09-08 Government Operations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 12, 2023.
• 2023-09-06 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved as amended .
• 2023-09-01 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 6, 2023.
• 2023-08-22 Motion referred to Government Operations Committee; Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Documents (8)

• 2026-07-28 Community Impact Statement submitted by Watts Neighborhood Council · cis
• 2026-03-23 Report from Chief Legislative Analyst · report
• 2023-09-19 Council Action · council_action
• 2023-09-19 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2023-09-12 Joint Report from Housing and Homelessness and Government Operations Committees · report
• 2023-09-12 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2023-09-06 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2023-08-22 Motion · motion

Council votes (1)

• 2023-09-19 Adopted Forthwith — 12-0-3 · Regular