by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Wed December 6, 2023
The hotel industry in Los Angeles scored a major victory
after city government officials removed the Homeless-In-Hotels measure from the
March 2024 ballot.
If passed, the new legislation would have forced hotel companies
in Los Angeles to house homeless people next to paying customers. Bill sponsor
UniteHere Local 11 officially pulled the measure from the ballot shortly after
the Los Angeles City Council’s final approval of a compromise ordinance.
Unite Here removed the ballot measure under pressure from
hoteliers and the LA City Council.
The altered ordinance now takes effect on July 1, 2024, and creates
a voluntary Homeless-In-Hotels program. The program also includes new hotel
development and replacement housing requirements that align with existing state
and local regulations.
“This solution ensures that our hotel community is thriving
and able to continue providing excellent careers and economic benefits to our
iconic neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles,” Hotel Association of Los Angeles President
and CEO Heather Rozman said.
American Hotel & Lodging Association President and CEO
Chip Rogers released a statement after the Los Angeles City Council voted to
withdraw the measure:
“For nearly two years, Unite Here created an atmosphere of
dangerous uncertainty for hotel employees, hoteliers, and the City of Los
Angeles by clinging to a proposal virtually everyone thinks is outrageous –
forcing hotels to house homeless people next to paying guests.”
“Today’s vote by the council removes Unite Here’s ridiculous
homeless-in-hotels proposal from the ballot, and the union’s consent to this
vote makes clear that its irresponsible demand was just a bargaining chip,
rather than a serious attempt to address the homelessness crisis gripping LA.”
“We thank the LA City Council for brokering a compromise to
get the homeless-in-hotels measure off the ballot. With its actions in LA,
Unite Here showed that even the safety and security of its own members is up
for negotiation. We urge leaders in LA and other cities to use this episode to
inform their future interactions with Unite Here and to put hotel employee and
guest safety first, even when Unite Here refuses to do so.”
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