ADVOCATE
Policy Priorities
Combatting Homelessness
BOMA/GLA is committed to addressing the biggest crisis facing Greater Los Angeles: Homelessness.
Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis; it’s a public health crisis; it’s an economic crisis – and it’s holding back both the people who experience it and our entire region.
BOMA/GLA is therefore working on all fronts to address this crisis.
Through our partnership with The People Concern, we have developed numerous volunteer, donation, and educational opportunities for our members to directly help individuals experiencing homelessness.
We are also leading the charge to tell our elected officials that it’s time for real change: Enforce existing law that keep our rights of way clear, invest in more diverse and nimble forms of temporary housing and services (such as “tiny homes”), and intervene when individuals who are illegally camped refuse services.
We also need to invest in workforce/economic development that keep individuals housed in the first place, while acknowledging the mental health and addiction issues that can lead to homelessness.
With major world events coming to our region over the next several years, such as the Olympics, now is the time to advocate for bold action to address the crisis.
Opposing Harmful Tax Increases
BOMA/GLA’s Board of Directors has unanimously voted to oppose a major real estate transfer tax increase across the City of Los Angeles, which will likely be on the November 2022 ballot. If passed, it would impose a 5.5% transfer tax on most BOMA/GLA members – a twelvefold increase from the current rate. On paper, revenue from the initiative would go to affordable housing but in reality would be directed to ineffective, inefficient, and unaccountable programs like Measure HHH.
Protecting Your Rent and Leases
As the COVID-19 State of Emergency technically persists, the integrity of your leases and rent payments are paramount.
LA County has officially removed its eviction moratorium, but LA City remains an outlier as the only major jurisdiction to keep its moratorium in place – potentially in violation of State Law.
BOMA/GLA will continue to advocate to end the LA City eviction moratorium, a policy that has enabled tenants who are fully operational to avoid rent payment and incur significant rent debt.
We will also:
- Continue to oppose bills that allow tenants to unilaterally exit their leases and/or avoid rent payment, like we saw throughout 2020 and 2021.
- Advocate for your right to collect your rent debt on time, without any further extension of the payback periods.
Building Electrification and EV Issues
As local governments across LA County look to “go green,” they are increasingly turning to measures to shift buildings solely towards electrification.
Simultaneously, California has committed to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, with cities around LA County looking to mandate electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in our members’ parking lots.
BOMA/GLA will be working with local government throughout 2022 to develop incentives instead of mandates wherever possible.
We are simultaneously seeing cities like Pasadena exploring full electrification mandates with triggers like a $500,000 remodel/TI. We will work to try to remove such blanket mandates - and oppose them if need be.
As the market grows for EV vehicles and our cities consider EV charging mandates for our buildings, we are actively working with local utilities, city government, and State Legislators to develop a reasonable infrastructure plan and generous subsidies to make EV charging cost-effective for owners.
Cutting Red Tape
In 2021, BOMA/GLA successfully worked with LA’s Department of Building and Safety to develop a “Fast Track” system to ensure that your permits for basic tenant improvement projects are reviewed and approved in just two days.
This year, we will be working with other jurisdictions throughout LA County to explore similar fast-tracking measures to permitting projects in your buildings.