(a) The House LA Citizens Oversight Committee (“Oversight Committee”) is hereby established. By February 28, 2023, the initial group of fifteen (15) Oversight Committee members shall be appointed pursuant to this Section 22.618.6.
(b) The Oversight Committee shall help ensure the House LA Fund and this article are implemented consistently with the language and intent of this Article and in a way that is transparent and accountable to the residents of the City. The Oversight Committee shall monitor and audit the Fund; advise the Mayor, the Department, and the City Council on priorities and the Program Guidelines authorized by Subdivision (c)(1) of this section; make recommendations to the Department, the Mayor and the City Council regarding appropriations, Expenditure Plans, administration of the House LA Fund, and implementation of the House LA Program.
(c) The Oversight Committee shall have the authority to:
(1) Develop guidelines for prioritizing use of the House LA Funds (“Program Guidelines”). Within 120 days of any such recommendation, the City Council may accept the Oversight Committee’s recommended guidelines or amend them consistently with the purpose of this article. If the City Council does not act in that time, such guidelines shall be deemed approved;
(2) By December 31, 2023, and every three years thereafter, or more frequently if the Oversight Committee deems necessary, it shall conduct a needs assessment with respect to homelessness, housing affordability, tenant protections and the housing needs of vulnerable populations, including but not limited to people experiencing homelessness, seniors in Lower Income Households, formerly homeless persons, persons with disabilities, veterans, single-parent households, youth in transition, survivors of domestic violence, and Lower Income Households. Any needs assessment conducted pursuant to this subsection shall, to the extent such data is available, include data disaggregated by race, family composition, sexual orientation, age, disability, and gender.
(3) Contract with a third-party evaluator or consultant to help conduct the housing needs assessment, measure the successes and shortcomings of expenditures of the Fund, and oversee an annual external audit of House LA Fund receipts and expenditures;
(4) Promote and facilitate transparency in the administration of the House LA Fund – Programs to ensure it is Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. This will include overseeing and reviewing reports, annually or more frequently as the Oversight Committee determines required by this article. The Oversight Committee shall monitor and/or audit the implementation of the House LA Program, including but not limited to: (A) dollars spent on housing construction and preservation during a year, over the course of years, in aggregate, per project, per housing unit, and disaggregated by Zip Code and Council District; (B) number of people housed during a year, over the course of years, in aggregate and as it changes over time, in each project, in each unit, disaggregated and searchable by race, family composition, sexual orientation, age, ability, and gender, and by location and income level (Acutely Low Income, Extremely Low Income, Very Low Income, Low Income, and Moderate Income Households); and (C) residents served by the Homelessness Prevention Program during a year, over the course of years, in aggregate and as it changes over time, by Council District, and disaggregated and searchable by race, family composition, sexual orientation, age, ability, and gender.
(5) The Oversight Committee shall be authorized to hold public hearings to investigate and share its findings with the public.
(6) The Oversight Committee may request reports from general managers of City departments, including but not limited to the Department, and chairs of City Council committees, including but not limited to the Housing Committee. The Oversight Committee shall have access to all information relevant to its work and be authorized to receive relevant information from other City entities as required under this article including information related to the Housing Element and its implementation, progress towards Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocations, and progress towards Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
(7) The Oversight Committee shall be authorized to identify and investigate potential conflicts of interest in the allocation and implementation of funding and to make these findings known to the public.
(8) To promote transparency and accountability, the Oversight Committee shall hold an annual town hall to report on the progress and shortcomings of the House LA Fund – Programs and hear from the public. This will be in addition to other public meetings required by this article or which the Oversight Committee otherwise deems necessary.
(9) Promote culturally sensitive implementation of programs funded by the House LA Program Fund.
(10) Based on the results of the housing needs assessment, compliance with the Housing Element, progress towards the Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocations, and progress towards Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, the Oversight Committee shall review programs and expenditures and make adjustments to the Program Guidelines referenced in Subdivision (c)(1) of this section to better achieve the goals of this article, including the achievement of racial equity goals and reversing of exclusionary practices, expanding affordable housing into all Council Districts to meet the need and reverse segregation, and prioritizing funding for programs focused on Acutely Low Income, Extremely Low Income, Very Low Income, and Low Income Households, and prioritizing rental subsidies to Acutely Low and Extremely Low Income Households.
(d) Oversight Committee Members.
(1) The Oversight Committee shall have thirteen (13) voting members and two (2) advisory members to support youth leadership development.
(2) Membership categories are as follows:
(i) Housing Development, Preservation & Finance.
a. Seat #1: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience in senior- level decision making in non-profit affordable housing development and preservation.
b. Seat #2: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience in non-profit asset and property management and operations, with a preference for individuals with experience in tenant-engaged management practices or resident ownership.
c. Seat #3: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience in housing finance (tax-exempt bonds, taxes, funding- agency work etc.).
d. Seat #4: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a member of a construction labor union involved in workforce development, apprenticeship programs and negotiating Project Labor Agreements for large-scale housing projects.
e. Seat #5: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience in non-profit Community Land Trusts or community development corporations.
f. Seat #6: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience in transit- oriented development.
(ii) Renter Protection & Support.
a. Seat #7: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a tenant rights organizer or advocate working at a community-based organization on behalf of tenants in Lower Income Households.
b. Seat #8: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as an organizer or advocate working at a community-based organization to address the housing needs of seniors and/or people with disabilities.
c. Seat #9: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a tenant rights or fair housing legal expert representing or advocating for tenants.
(iii) Lived Experience & Expertise.
a. Seat #10: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a tenant in a Lower Income Household and/or at least one year experiencing homelessness;
b. Seat #11: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a tenant of a Lower Income Household and/or at least one year experiencing homelessness.
c. Seat #12: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a representative of a public sector labor or service union, the members of which struggle with housing costs.
d. Seat #13: An individual with at least five (5) years’ experience as a community leader or an organizer advocating for high-quality transit near affordable housing and job centers and for identifying mobility options associated with the production of affordable housing.
(iv) Youth. Seats # 14 and 15: Two advisory, non-voting members of the Oversight Committee shall be individuals between the ages of 16 and 21.
(3) Eligibility.
(i) Members of the Oversight Committee must reside in the City of Los Angeles.
(ii) No person currently serving as an elected City, County, special district, State or Federal public official may serve as a Committee member.
(iii) The City’s local conflicts of interest code under the Political Reform Act is hereby amended to require members of the Oversight Committee to file annual statements of economic interests and otherwise to comply with the ethics and conflicts of interest provisions of that Act.
(4) Appointment.
(i) Initial appointments: Department staff shall submit to the Mayor at least three qualified candidates for each category of membership. The Mayor shall appoint members for each category listed in Subdivision (d)(2) of this section , subject to approval by the City Council.
(ii) Oversight Committee members shall serve five-year terms. However, seats 1, 2, 7, 10, and 11 shall have an initial term of three years; seats 3, 4, 8, 12, and 14 shall have an initial term of two years; and seats 5, 6, 9, 13, and 15 shall have an initial term of one year. Members may be reappointed to an unlimited number of terms at the discretion of the Mayor.
(iii) Subsequent appointments: After Oversight Committee staff is hired, its staff shall submit to the Mayor with at least three qualified candidates for each vacancy on the Committee. The Mayor shall appoint members, subject to approval by the City Council.
(5) Resignation; Disqualification. Oversight Committee members may, at any time, resign from the Oversight Committee upon written notice delivered to the Oversight Committee and the Mayor. An Oversight Committee member holding any disqualifying public office, or a Committee member’s filing of intent to seek such public office, including a declaration of candidacy pursuant to California Government Code Section 85200, or an Oversight Committee member’s relocation outside the City shall disqualify the member from continuing to serve on the Oversight Committee upon the Department’s delivery of notice of that fact to the Oversight Committee.
(6) Grounds for Removal/Termination. Oversight Committee members shall only be removed before the end of a term for cause. Cause includes: (i) more than two absences from Committee meeting in a 12-month period not excused by the Committee; (ii) more than three absences from Committee meetings in a 12-month period even if excused by the Committee; (iii) failure to actively participate in meetings, committees, subcommittees, or Oversight Committee projects or responsibilities; (iv) acting in conflict with the intent or language of the initiative measure which adopted this ordinance, including opposing the construction or preservation of affordable housing; (v) disrupting the meetings or work of the Oversight Committee or failure to comply with accepted codes of conduct; (vi) failure to disclose a conflict of interest related to a decision pending before the Committee; and (vii) violation of law governing the conduct of the Oversight Committee, including but not limited to the Political Reform Act of 1975 and the Ralph M. Brown Act.
(7) Disclosure and Recusal. Members of the Oversight Committee must disclose any conflict of interest, either actual or apparent, as determined by the Ethics Commission. If an Oversight Committee member has a direct or indirect financial interest in a decision of the Oversight Committee, they must recuse themselves from participating in the matter and file Form 51 with the Ethics Commission (Recusal Notification Form) or any successor to that form. If a conflict of interest is alleged by either members of the Oversight Committee or City staff, the matter will be reported to the Inspector General referenced in Subdivision (g)(2) of this section to investigate and report back to the Oversight Committee as necessary. Nothing in this section shall alter or diminish the authority of the City’s Ethics Commission.
(8) Chair and Vice-Chair. The Oversight Committee shall select from among its members a Chair and Vice-Chair for each fiscal year. Members may serve as Chair or Vice-Chair for up to three consecutive fiscal years.
(e) Committee Member Compensation. Oversight Committee members will be compensated for meeting attendance no less than $150 per meeting. Members may waive compensation.
(f) Meetings. The Oversight Committee shall meet at least six times annually, except for the 2022-23 fiscal year, in which the Oversight Committee shall meet at least twice. Subcommittees shall meet as the Oversight Committee deems necessary.
(g) Staffing. The City shall provide adequate dedicated staffing to the Oversight Committee.
(1) The Oversight Committee determines its own staffing and resource needs subject to the limit on the House LA Fund – Administration stated in Subsection (b) of Section 22.618.3 of this article.
(2) The Oversight Committee shall hire an Inspector General as the lead staff person serving the Oversight Committee. The Inspector General may be removed by the City Council for such cause as is sufficient to discharge under Section 1016 of the City Charter. The Inspector General has authority to hire or fire additional staff and expend budgeted resources, as needed. The Oversight Committee shall review and approve the Inspector General’s budget.
(h) Subcommittees.
(1) The Oversight Committee may create subcommittees or advisory committees to assist its work.
(i) Nothing in this Section shall limit the authority of the Mayor and the City Council to propose, amend, and adopt the City budget pursuant to the City Charter provided that such budget respects the allocations required by this article.
SECTION HISTORY
Article and Section Added by Initiative Approved by the Voters on 11-8-22, Ord. No. 187,692, Eff. 1-1-23.