City Council

(26) 23-1134 CONSIDERATION OF MOTION (BLUMENFIELD – SOTO-MARTÍNEZ – YAROSLAVSKY) relative to a contract with Economic Roundtable to conduct an economic study of the formula for setting the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) annual allowable rent increase, and related matters. Recommendations for Council action: AUTHORIZE the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) to negotiate and execute a sole-source contract, subject to the approval as to form by the City Attorney, with Economic Roundtable, for an amount not to exceed $180,000 from the Rent Stabilization Trust Fund No. 43/440, the term of the agreement shall be from date of execution to 12 months to conduct an economic study of the formula for setting the RSO annual allowable rent increase, with the understanding the study should conclude within three months. PROVIDE both tenants and landlords the most relevant information about their rights and responsibilities, especially as it pertains to the annual allowable rent increase, and request the concurrence of the City Attorney for a sole-source contract as the most effective means to conduct this expedited economic study of the formula for setting the RSO annual allowable rent increase, due to the continuing state of emergency on housing and homelessness, and in order to prevent wrongful evictions and further tenant displacement, upon the lifting of the City’s COVID-19 protections that will expire on January 31, 2024. FIND that the services to be performed by Economic Roundtable are for the performance of professional, scientific, expert, technical, or other special services of a temporary and occasional character for which competitive bidding is not practicable or advantageous and that the work can be performed more economically or feasibly by independent contractors than by City employees. INSTRUCT the LAHD to include in the economic study, authorized by Council File 21-0042-S3, an analysis of the impacts on homelessness in the City of Los Angeles, including the analysis from the 2020 U.S. Government Accountability Office study around median rent increases, for any recommended allowable rent increase caps and formulas.