Comments
WESTSIDE - The Homelessness Committee of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc.org) met this week and passed a motion effectively asking city officials to adopt a localized vacancy fee with the revenue being set aside for additional affordable housing efforts.
The tax would be designed to decrease the number of vacant properties throughout CD-11 and Los Angeles while discouraging "speculative housing practices" and generating housing and homeless solutions.
Longtime Venetian Alley Bean serves as Chair, and the Committee consists of Dr. Judy Goldman, Julie Bean, Lisa Redmond, Dr. Naomi Nightingale, Pat Raphael, Sarah Mahir and John Reimers, who was absent. Also in attendance was VNC Outreach Chair Erica Moore.
About twenty-five residents were present as the motion that was submitted by stakeholder Ben Simon was considered for review.
The City of Los Angeles has allocated $788 million specifically for its homelessness budget in the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 city budget signed by Mayor Karen Bass. This represents a structured adjustment from the $952 million to $953 million budgeted during the previous 2025–2026 fiscal year.
When combining the individual budgets of the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and various state and federal funding pools, total regional public commitments toward homelessness programs approach nearly $3 billion annually.
Given that exorbitant amount of investment and bureaucracy in the homeless equation, will another tax solve the problem?
Is it the need for more money, or a successful strategy and sustaining solution to the problem?
Currently, the City of Los Angeles dedicates roughly 4.29% of its General Fund budget to total homelessness spending, amounting to about $350.4 million out of an $8.18 billion general fund. When looking across all funding sources and broader joint regional efforts, combined city and county investments scale past $1 billion annually.
Under general public comment, it was stated that enforcement of existing RV vehicle regulations was described as "gentrification," while longtime community advocate and former VNC member Sylvia Aroth was supportive of the vacancy tax initiative.
According to the motion, which was revised by committee member Redmond, municipalities such as Oakland, San Francisco and Berkeley have implemented "regulatory mitigation fees" on properties deemed vacant for more than 182 days per year, which incentivized landlords to decrease rents that filled some 183 units.
According to the motion, an estimate of $4 to $12 million could be generated by this new vacancy fee at the municipal level.
In essence, such a municipal vacancy tax would be designed to stop speculative "land banking" and activate empty properties for immediate occupation.
A residential vacancy tax (RVT) or vacancy fee is a charge imposed by a city or other government entity on owners of homes that are left unoccupied for an extended period.
The goal is to encourage owners to either reside in the property or rent it out, increasing the supply of housing.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there can be a distinction:
- Vacancy tax: A tax levied on vacant residential properties, often calculated as a percentage of the property's assessed value.
- Vacancy fee: A flat or fixed annual charge for keeping a property vacant.
The motion, which was rewritten by Redmond (Stakeholder Ben Simon did not attend), requested any revenue localized be "firewalled" and allocated toward Venice for temporary housing solutions, rental assistance vouchers for low-income Venice families, and grassroots homelessness remediation as considered by the Committee.
While supportive of the concept, Redmond was clearly uncomfortable with the motion's current language.
Under committee comment, there was discussion on revising the motion, which was 9 paragraphs, but several members best felt the motion be voted on as currently constructed.
Since Simon was not in attendance, Redmond had made revisions and initially sought to amend further, as both Nightingale & Mahir along with Bean pushed for a final committee vote instead.
Redmond, a longtime homeless activist, remarked that "I don't think Traci Park (CD-11 Councilwoman who represents Venice) cares," and surmised "She is not going to go to bat for us."
Ironically, the vote was 6-0 in favor with Redmond abstaining.
It was noted that an overall increase in homelessness was 3.4% in Los Angeles, but an incredible 34% decrease here in CD-11, where Park represents Venice and is a local herself.
Park has taken on the issue of encampments and RV street occupation since assuming office four years ago. She was easily reelected last month, garnering some 60% of the vote in the June 2nd Primary against fellow attorney and Venetian, Faizah Malik.
One stakeholder remarked, "let's not attack investors who own properties," while Committee Member Julie Bean noted the plethora of vacant buildings here looks like "shit," and also stated her strong opposition to unoccupied rentals in general.
Dr. Judy Goldman summarized her support of the motion, by simply saying, "I support it."
The motion will now be sent to the full board for consideration at the August General Monthly Meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council.
The VNC is a duly elected, 21-member, all volunteer unit of local government as set forth in the Los Angeles charter.
(Nick Antonicello is a thirty-three-year resident of the neighborhood who exclusively covers the deliberations of the Venice Neighborhood Council, and its numerous Standing Committees. A regular contributor to City Watch LA, he can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].)
