LA housing officials report Measure ULA revenues, outline aggressive "Supernova" NOFA and spending plans

Craig Court, director of strategic engagement for the Los Angeles Housing Department, told the Los Angeles Housing Committee that Measure ULA revenues have grown faster than originally forecast and staff will pursue an accelerated Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process they are calling "Supernova." Court said the department received "a bit less than $33 million" in March and that ULA receipts to date exceed $632 million, figures he presented as the basis for near-term spending plans.

Court said the department has allocated $55.6 million to an Accelerator Plus track within the multifamily production category and has used that funding as gap financing for projects now producing 364 affordable units. He said five projects in a separate "Category B" pipeline are in predevelopment and could generate about 421 units if financed. Cumulatively, staff estimates the program could support up to about 10,000 construction jobs, a figure Court raised as an economic impact projection for the portfolio of projects tied to these allocations.

Why it matters: Measure ULA is the city tax measure that funds prevention, tenant defense, housing production and other anti-displacement programs. Committee members pressed staff on timelines, how many affordable units were funded or in construction and how the city will prioritize residents for units financed with ULA dollars.

Court described planned program and timeline details: staff are preparing a consolidated NOFA (the "Supernova") that will include pages for each program category with loan limits and terms, and they aim to present draft limits and guides to the committee in April and to the full council for review in May, providing councilmembers roughly two months to comment before a planned late‑summer or fall launch. Court called the timeline "aggressive" but said the department will continue refining loan terms and coordination across programs.

On prevention and tenant services, Court said the department has designated roughly $18 million for short-term emergency assistance in the first fiscal year and moved $12 million from another prevention bucket into emergency short-term assistance earlier in implementation. He reported programs tied to eviction prevention and tenant outreach have reached thousands: staff reported more than 17,000 households have received some prevention or related services to date and that a rental assistance program (ERAP) disbursed about $34 million and helped more than 4,000 households during the cited period.

Court also reviewed a pilot "income support" program for seniors and people with disabilities. He said the interim support rollout used about $11 million and that as of the update roughly 995 applicants remained in document verification; 128 participants had received payments and 63 were awaiting payment within about a week. Court said the department plans an academic evaluation in partnership with United Way and a university to inform longer-term design.

Committee members asked how tenant selection and local preferences would work for ULA-funded units. Court said ULA-financed projects will include marketing and tenant selection plans consistent with the department's policies and that ULA funding gives the city more discretion than some federal programs; he also said program specifics will depend on finance sources for each project. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and Councilmember Adrian Nazarian urged staff to return with written materials and a chance for deeper committee review before the NOFA is released.

Court acknowledged implementation challenges — including staffing and contract timing — and said the department has filled eight of the ten positions the council previously authorized for these programs; more hiring and contract work remains. He said some short-term obligations created a temporary funding constraint that staff addressed while keeping the longer-term spending plan intact.

The committee was told the next steps are an internal review of loan limits and a planned committee update in April, with transmission of NOFA materials to the council by late May to allow a summer review period ahead of planned activity in the fall. The presentation and discussion closed with committee members thanking staff for the work and asking for follow-up materials and timelines to be circulated in advance of future meetings.

Ending — forward look: Staff committed to provide a written briefing and the NOFA materials on the schedule discussed. Court said the department will return to the committee for additional review as the Supernova NOFA is finalized.