L.A. Fire Tax Heads to the Ballot — June 24, 2026

L.A. Fire Tax Heads to the Ballot — June 24, 2026

Los Angeles City Council sent a half-cent LAFD sales tax to the November ballot, asking voters to fund staffing, stations and equipment while Measure ULA thresholds and county permit streamlining show how much local reform depends on implementation. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Half-cent sales tax to fund LA city fire department heads to the Nov ballot [https://laist.com/news/politics/half-cent-sales-tax-to-fund-la-city-fire-department-heads-to-the-nov-ballot] — LAist An LAFD firefighter responds to an incident in downtown Los Angeles on May 1. (Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images) The L.A. City Council on Tuesday agreed to place a half-cent sales tax to fund the fire department on the November ballot. The vote was 14-0. If approved by voters, the measure would raise $345 million in its first year and would remain in effect until repealed by voters. United… 2. Real Property Transfer Tax and Measure ULA FAQ | Los Angeles Office of Finance [https://finance.lacity.gov/faq/measure-ula] — Los Angeles Office of Finance   # Real Property Transfer Tax and Measure ULA FAQ Sales Price Calculate tax Tax Due **Note**:… 3. [PDF] SmallBiz FAQ_Final - Department of Economic Opportunity [https://opportunity.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SmallBiz-FAQ_Final.pdf] — Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity Frequently Asked Questions PERMIT EXPRESS LA County SmallBiz LA County SmallBiz Permit Express is designed to support qualifying small businesses by providing expedited services for permits, entitlements, licenses, and inspections in Unincorporated LA County. This program aims to simplify and streamline the application process, making it easier and faster to obtain the necessary approvals needed… Daily TopFive for Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-la-daily-fix/id1895649590] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3yLZ4pkQq99iMI5WLo3HUg]. Feedback? Email la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].

Inside Safe, ADUs and LAPD Meet the Metrics Test — June 23, 2026

Inside Safe’s motel-to-housing pipeline, L.A.’s ADU code, and a RAND assessment of LAPD all point to one City Hall test: reform only matters if outcomes, permits, and public-safety capacity can actually be measured. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Step Back — When Mayor Bass says Inside Safe has moved thousands of people indoors and nearly doubled permanent housing move-ins, what should we actually count as a successful outcome — a night in a motel, a signed lease, staying housed six months later — and does L.A. publish enough data to tell the difference? BACKGROUND SOURCES * L.A.’s $300 Million Homeless Program Sees Many Return to the Streets [https://www.governing.com/urban/l-a-s-300-million-homeless-program-sees-many-return-to-the-streets] — Governing * 40 percent of people helped by Los Angeles mayor’s $300M homeless project have returned to the streets, report finds | The Independent [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/los-angeles-inside-safe-program-b2952227.html] — The Independent * CNN Anchor Grills LA's Karen Bass on $300 Million 'Failure' [https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/cnn-anchor-presses-la-mayor-on-alarming-300-million-housing-program-numbers-pretty-concerning/] — Zachary Leeman * More than 250 tax-funded LA apartments sit empty under key Mayor Bass homelessness strategy | LAist [https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/tax-funded-la-apartments-sit-empty-mayor-bass-homelessness-strategy] — LAist * Opinion | Bass got some of LA's homeless people indoors [https://calmatters.org/commentary/2025/12/la-mayor-bass-homelessness-reelection/] — Jim Newton * New report questions LA's Inside Safe program results [https://spectrumlocalnews.com/ca/california/homelessness/2026/04/22/inside-safe-mayor-bass-la-times-report-] — Spectrumlocalnews 2. [PDF] ordinance no. - City Clerk - City of Los Angeles [https://cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2016/16-1468_ord_draft_12-05-2019.pdf] ORDINANCE NO. An ordinance amending Sections 12.03, 12.22 and 12.33, and repealing portions of Section 12.24, of Chapter 1 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code for the purpose of regulating Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units in accordance with State law. THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section. 1. The following definitions are added to Section… 3. [PDF] Organizational Assessment of the Los Angeles Police Department [https://lapdonlinestrgeacc.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/lapdonlinemedia/RRA3827-1_PageProofMay30-697a900769814.pdf] — RAND Corporation Research Report Organizational Assessment of the Los Angeles Police Department Richard H. Donohue, Samuel Peterson, Bob Harrison, Shawn L. Hill, Danielle Sobol, Alejandro Roa Contreras RAND Justice Policy Program PR-A3827-1 June 2025 Prepared for the Los Angeles Police Foundation and the Los Angeles Police Department RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research… Daily TopFive for Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-la-daily-fix/id1895649590] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3yLZ4pkQq99iMI5WLo3HUg]. Feedback? Email la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].

Measure ULA’s Ballot Fix Meets L.A.’s Housing Reality — June 22, 2026

Measure ULA reform moved toward Los Angeles’ November ballot after a 9-5 Council vote to draft apartment-sale exemptions, sharpening the stakes for housing production, homelessness funding and whether City Hall can fix policies without gutting their purpose. IN THIS EPISODE 1. City attempts to amend ‘mansion tax’ | Los Angeles Times - newspaper - Read this story on Magzter.com [https://www.magzter.com/stories/newspaper/Los-Angeles-Times/CITY-ATTEMPTS-TO-AMEND-MANSION-TAX] — - By ANDREW KHOURI Abridged Program Guidelines for Measure ULA Funding Programs Drafted by Area Experts Throughout ULA Coalition June 2023 Full copies of guidelines available in appendix For general inquiries please contact: ●Joe Donlin, (jdonlin@saje.net); or ●Jackson Loop (jloop@scanph.org) INTRODUCTION Drafted by homeless service providers, affordable housing nonprofits, labor unions, and renters’ rights groups,… 2. LAUSD Voter Guide [https://info.ccsa.org/lausd-voter-guide] — CCSA [](https://www.ccsa.org) # LAUSD Voter Guide 2026 Jump to: * District 2 ([map](https://4.files.edl.io/bf30/05/28/25/180111-f722d947-c06d-4928-85f7-5f1047b84b68.pdf)): [Rocío Rivas](#rocio-rivas) | [Raquel Zamora](#raquel-zamora) * District 4… 3. Homelessness | City Attorney [https://cityattorney.lacity.gov/homelessness] — Los Angeles City Attorney On her first day in office, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto joined Mayor Karen Bass as she declared a local **emergency on homelessness**. The City Attorney’s Office provided the legal framework for this declaration, which cuts red tape, facilitates additional resources, and streamlines efforts to bring people inside. The following week, Mayor Bass signed an executive directive… 4. Los Angeles ADU Permits: Requirements, Costs & Timeline - ADU West Coast [https://aduwestcoast.com/adu-permits-los-angeles-requirements-costs-timeline] — ADU West Coast [](https://aduwestcoast.com/) Select Page # Los Angeles ADU Permits: Requirements, Costs & Timeline by [Cameron Meredith](https://aduwestcoast.com/author/cmeredith/ "Posts by Cameron Meredith") | Aug 22, 2025 | [Blog](https://aduwestcoast.com/category/blog/) | [0… Daily TopFive for Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-la-daily-fix/id1895649590] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3yLZ4pkQq99iMI5WLo3HUg]. Feedback? Email la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].

Inside Safe, LAPD Staffing, and L.A.’s Reform Scorecard — June 21, 2026

Los Angeles Inside Safe claims more than 70 people brought indoors from encampments, while LAPD staffing math and California housing reform debates sharpen the same question: which City Hall fixes are actually producing measurable results? IN THIS EPISODE 1. Step Back — Every few months we hear LAPD is short hundreds of officers, but what is that staffing number actually supposed to buy Angelenos — faster 911 response, more cases solved, more visible patrols — and how would we know if adding officers is actually working? BACKGROUND SOURCES * L.A. Mayor Shifts Police Strategy as Staffing Hits 25-Year Low [https://www.governing.com/workforce/l-a-mayor-shifts-police-strategy-as-staffing-hits-25-year-low] — Governing * LAPD chief flags officer staffing risks for 2028 Olympics [https://www.police1.com/lapd/were-going-in-the-wrong-direction-lapd-chief-flags-staffing-risks-for-2028-olympics] — Police1 * Policy Brief: Understanding Trends in Law Enforcement Staffing - Public Policy Institute of California [https://www.ppic.org/publication/policy-brief-understanding-trends-in-law-enforcement-staffing/] — Ppic * City Council just gave LAPD the green light to hire more officers. How will LA pay for it? | LA Local [https://thelalocal.org/los-angeles-county/city-council-just-gave-lapd-the-green-light-to-hire-more-officers-how-will-la-pay-for-it/] — LAist * City Council just gave LAPD the green light to hire more officers. How will LA pay for it? | LAist [https://laist.com/news/politics/city-council-just-gave-lapd-the-green-light-to-hire-more-officers-how-will-la-pay-for-it] — LAist * LA’s program that diverts mental health crisis calls away from police to expand | LAist [https://laist.com/news/health/la-program-that-diverts-mental-health-crisis-calls-away-from-police-to-expand] — LAist * Organizational Assessment of the Los Angeles Police Department | RAND [https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3827-1.html] — RAND 2. The Promise and Limits of California’s Housing Reform [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIaLQAboUD4] — USC Price # The Promise and Limits of California’s Housing Reform ## USC Price 18500 subscribers 4 likes ### Description 209 views Posted: 19 Nov 2025 California’s recent wave of pro-housing legislation has opened the door for more development on single-family lots and urban infill sites, but how much progress have we really made? Shane Phillips (UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies) joins… 3. Mayor Bass’ Inside Safe Program Continues Addressing Homelessness with Urgency, Helping Restore Communities and Keep Angelenos Safe | Mayor Karen Bass [https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-inside-safe-program-continues-addressing-homelessness-urgency-helping-restore] — City of Los Angeles   # Mayor Bass’ Inside Safe Program Continues Addressing Homelessness with Urgency, Helping Restore Communities and Keep Angelenos Safe [***En… Daily TopFive for Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-la-daily-fix/id1895649590] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3yLZ4pkQq99iMI5WLo3HUg]. Feedback? Email la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].

LA’s Reform Test: Faster Permits, Rent Aid, More Homes — June 19, 2026

Los Angeles County’s SmallBiz Permit Express, Measure ULA tenant-aid delays, and Abundant Housing LA’s agenda all point at one reform test: whether L.A. can turn promises into faster permits, real checks, and enough homes. IN THIS EPISODE 1. [PDF] SmallBiz FAQ_Final - Department of Economic Opportunity [https://opportunity.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SmallBiz-FAQ_Final.pdf] Frequently Asked Questions PERMIT EXPRESS LA County SmallBiz LA County SmallBiz Permit Express is designed to support qualifying small businesses by providing expedited services for permits, entitlements, licenses, and inspections in Unincorporated LA County. This program aims to simplify and streamline the application process, making it easier and faster to obtain the necessary approvals needed… 2. Step Back — If L.A. has already set aside huge money for tenant aid, what actually has to happen before that money reaches renters or landlords — and who, specifically, is on the hook when the pipeline jams? BACKGROUND SOURCES * City attorney has left $177M tenant aid contract unsigned for months. LA leaders want to know why | LAist [https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-city-attorney-hydee-feldstein-soto-united-to-house-la-tenant-aid-contract] — LAist * Why is $177M in LA tenant aid being held up? City officials disagree on the reason | LAist [https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-city-council-tenant-aid-contracts-hydee-feldstein-soto-lafla-dispute] — LAist * LA Council to Review Delayed Contracts for Tenant Aid Services - MyNewsLA.com [https://mynewsla.com/government/2026/06/17/la-council-committee-to-weigh-in-on-delayed-contracts-for-tenant-aid-services-4/] — Contributing Editor * LACAHSA Board Approves $11.4M for Emergency Rental [https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/17/3207380/0/en/LACAHSA-Board-Approves-11-4M-for-Emergency-Rental-Assistance-Funding-Bringing-Total-Measure-A-Prevention-Investments-to-29-5M-in-2025.html] — Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency * LA County launches $2.1-million eviction diversion pilot program - ABC7 Los Angeles [https://abc7.com/post/la-county-launches-21-million-eviction-diversion-pilot-program/18986406/] — Abc7 * Statement on City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto's Delays in Finalizing Stay Housed LA Contracts - LAFLA: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles [https://lafla.org/stories-events/statement-on-city-attorney-hydee-feldstein-sotos-delays-in-finalizing-stay-housed-la-contracts/] — laflacom 3. Policy Agenda - Abundant Housing LA [https://abundanthousingla.org/policyagenda] — Abundant Housing LA [](https://abundanthousingla.org/) Select Page # A PRO-HOUSING POLICY AGENDA FOR LA # The Time to Fix Housing is Now **For decades, we haven’t built enough homes to meet our needs. This has caused home prices and rents to skyrocket, creating financial pressure on households and putting homeownership… Daily TopFive for Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-la-daily-fix/id1895649590] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3yLZ4pkQq99iMI5WLo3HUg]. Feedback? Email la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [la-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].