Los Angeles housing officials recommend NOFA awards after broad public support; committee delays vote for more data

City housing officials recommended that the Los Angeles City committee approve the first round of awards under the city's Measure ULA Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), presenting a package that staff said would leverage hundreds of millions of dollars to create and preserve affordable housing — while community groups and developers urged the committee to protect the voter-approved fund and to make technical changes before the next round.

The recommendation, presented by Tina Johnson Hall and department staff, summarized Round One outcomes and proposed technical amendments to correct sponsor names and table entries. Department presenters said the NOFA process yielded recommendations totaling more than $300 million and would support more than 500 projects across the city, including preservation and new-construction efforts. Craig Arzeno, assistant general manager, said staff recommended awards to roughly 80 projects and highlighted the program's scale: "This NOFA is ... administering more than six times the funds we typically do," and staff estimated the round would support several hundred new and preserved units.

Why it matters: The NOFA implements voter-approved Measure ULA funding intended to expand affordable housing production and preservation. Community organizations,…