Measure S
Los Angeles Elections | March 7, 2017
Measure S is additionally opposed by BOTH the LA Democratic and Republican parties.
Our LA voter guideA Well-Intentioned Measure With a Costly Trade-Off
Measure S would impose a two-year ban on new construction that increases development density — high-rises, converting open space to housing — while exempting low-income housing. It would also tighten environmental review, freeze parking requirements, and lock in existing zoning.
The appeal is obvious: who doesn't want their neighborhood to stay as it is? But the Southern California Association of Governments projects roughly half a million more residents in the region over the next two years, and that growth doesn't pause because a moratorium does. Blocking new density-driving development means fewer new units for a growing population, which tends to push rents up rather than keep them stable — and the renters priced out first are often the ones with the least room to absorb it.
That's a real cost for a fairly narrow win: supporters frame S as a check on developers influencing city officials, but nothing in the measure actually addresses that directly, and the city would lose millions in fee revenue and have to make staffing cuts if it passes. Both the LA Democratic and Republican parties oppose it, which is unusual enough to be notable on its own.
The one piece worth keeping is the requirement for independent, outside environmental impact reports rather than ones developers commission themselves — that's a real gap worth closing, just not one that requires a blanket construction freeze to fix.
Why We Love It
- Requires independent, outside-sourced environmental impact reports rather than developer-commissioned ones
- Retains existing parking lot size requirements and area zoning protections
- Exempts low-income housing development from the construction ban
Considerations
- Restricts new housing supply while the region's population is projected to grow by roughly 500,000 people
- Risks pushing rents higher and displacing lower-income, long-term renters
- Costs the city millions in fee revenue and would force staffing cuts
- Doesn't actually address the developer-influence problem its supporters cite
We Recommend This To Readers Who:
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Are worried about LA's rising rents
A construction freeze amid projected population growth tends to push rents up, not down.
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Want independent environmental review of new development
This is the one part of Measure S worth keeping, even while voting No overall.
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Are watching the city's affordable-housing supply
Low-income housing is exempted from the freeze, but overall new supply would still shrink.
A Closer Look
Vote No on Measure S
A blanket construction freeze isn't the right tool for protecting neighborhood character when the region is projected to add half a million residents — the independent environmental review requirement is the one idea worth salvaging.
