The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday confirmed the appointment of two new members to the citizens oversight committee responsible for programming and funding for affordable housing and homeless prevention initiatives.
In a unanimous vote, council members approved the appointment of Fernando Abarca and Antonia Routt as the latest members of the United to House LA COC. Abarca is expected to fill a vacancy left by the departure of Laura Raymond, while Routt will take over the seat left by Jennifer Gaeta.
Mayor Karen Bass nominated the two in July.
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Abarca serves as the national associate director for Capital Strategies Right to the City Alliance. He previously worked for East LA Community Corporation and Inclusive Action for the City. He received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from UCLA, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Occidental College.
Routt serves as a fitness facilitator for Adventist White Memorial Hospital in Montebello. She has spent many years working and advocating for seniors and people with disabilities, and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal State Los Angeles.
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The 15-member committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Measure ULA, a tax on real estate transactions exceeding $5 million. Los Angeles voters approved the measure in 2022 and it went effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
The measure aims to create a sustainable funding stream for affordable housing production and homelessness prevention. The committee advises the mayor, the Housing Department and the City Council on priorities and program guidelines.
In July, the City Council approved a nearly $425 million spending plan for dollars collected from Measure ULA.
Of that money, more than $100 million is expected to support homelessness prevention programs such as income support for at-risk tenants such as seniors and people with disabilities, as well as eviction defense among other programs.
More than $288 million is set to be used for housing production and preservation of existing affordable housing. The ULA COC previously said the measure has generated more than $702 million since it became policy.
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