Abstract: Los Angeles is currently suffering through an unprecedented public health crisis. COVID-19 has made the immediate shelter of all Angelenos, already a moral and political crisis, into a public health crisis as well. Beyond the immediate need for shelter, the economic devastation that has resulted from the pandemic has put hundreds of thousands of renters at risk for eviction and houselessness, magnifying the already desperate need for new permanently affordable and stable housing. The policies suggested in this report can help mitigate some of the effects of the current crisis on renters. COVID-19 has also deeply impacted the city’s coffers, and the need for revenue-generating policies to fund the necessary expansion of affordable housing and service provision is apparent. The city should not fail to act on policies that will provide much-needed revenue for affordable housing and services for the unhoused, and curb harmful and speculative behavior in the housing market at a time when disaster capitalists circle.

Download >> The Vacany Report: How Los Angeles Leaves Homes Empty and People Unhoused