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LOS ANGELES, CA, December 15 – Today, a three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal for the Second District upheld a 2023 decision by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Barbara Scheper to dismiss a challenge to Measure ULA. This is the third victory in court for Measure ULA. The panel wrote, “We conclude the passage of Measure ULA pursuant to a majority vote of the City’s electorate was a valid exercise of the people’s initiative power.”
“Measure ULA is building housing, protecting renters, creating jobs, and it continues to be the law of the land,” said Greg Bonett, Senior Policy Counsel for Public Counsel’s Community Development Project and an attorney on the case. “Special interests tried to undo the voters’ will in court, and they failed.”
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) brought a lawsuit against Measure ULA in December 2022, claiming it was unconstitutional and violated this City’s charter. Newcastle Courtyards LLC and the Mani Benabou Family Trust combined their state action with the Howard Jarvis and AAGLA lawsuit in January 2023. Both challenges were dismissed by Judge Scheper in February 2023. The federal challenge brought by Newcastle Courtyards LLC and the Mani Benabou Family Trust was dismissed by federal district court Judge John Kronstadt in September 2023, and Newcastle’s appeal was dismissed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in November 2024.
“Millionaires, billionaires, and real estate special interests all want to see Measure ULA fail,” said Joe Donlin, Director, United to House LA. “But they keep running up against the undeniable facts that Measure ULA is legal and Measure ULA is working. In its first phase, Measure ULA is funding construction on 795 affordable homes, accelerating the creation of 10,000 union jobs, and keeping 10,000 vulnerable renters housed. The largest affordable housing proposal in L.A., funded by ULA, recently received an overwhelming response and will spur new development across the city. It’s time for the real estate industry and its mouthpieces to stop trying to overturn Los Angeles’ best hope for creating the affordable housing our city needs.”
The City of Los Angeles defended Measure ULA alongside community groups including Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH), Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015. Community groups were represented by the law firms Irell & Manella and Public Counsel.
“Measure ULA is saving lives, building affordable housing, keeping people housed, fighting homelessness, and helping those who need it most,” said Alexandra Suh, Executive Director, KIWA. “The people have spoken, and we want Measure ULA. The courts have spoken, and it’s going to stay. Call off this fringe legal crusade to protect wealthy property interests at the expense of voter-approved housing solutions.”
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About United to House LA
United to House LA brings together a unique coalition from the labor movement, affordable housing developers, and social justice and community-based organizations to work on the common goals of affordable housing, homelessness prevention, tenant protection, and good-paying jobs in the city of Los Angeles. The Coalition consists of over 240 organizations that worked to pass Measure ULA on the November 2022 ballot and which continue to advocate for the implementation of one of the most progressive and transformative affordable housing measures in the United States.
About Public Counsel
Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.
About Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA)
Founded in 1992, KIWA builds power with immigrant workers and renters to bring about a more just and inclusive Los Angeles. One of the nation’s most established worker centers, KIWA organizes primarily Korean and Latino immigrant workers, with a focus on the restaurant and retail industries. KIWA aligns strategic worker and community organizing with policy change, leadership development, research, services, and coalition-building. Because of their immense impact on workers’ lives, KIWA also works in the areas of civic justice, economic policy, immigration, housing and transit policy, and land-use reform.
