Los Angeles Politics and Urbanism Daily
RAND puts Measure ULA’s tradeoffs in hard numbers
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 · 9 min
Measure ULA faces a RAND stress test: the tax has raised $1.2 billion, but researchers estimate it cut high-value sales 31%, reduced housing production by over 9,000 units, and cost local agencies $452 million.
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Show notes
Measure ULA faces a RAND stress test: the tax has raised $1.2 billion, but researchers estimate it cut high-value sales 31%, reduced housing production by over 9,000 units, and cost local agencies $452 million.
In this episode
- The Effects of the Measure ULA (United to House LA) Transfer Tax on Economic Development and Municipal Finances in Los Angeles | RAND — RAND Corporation
 ## Site-wide navigation ### Topics #### Trending #### [Topics](/topics.html) ### Research Divisions RAND's divisions conduct research on a uniquely broad front for clients around the globe. #### U.S. research divisions #### International research divisions # The Effects of the Measure ULA (United to House LA)…
- Step Back — Measure ULA was sold as a “mansion tax” to fund housing and homelessness work, but if big property sales are being delayed, avoided, or pushed outside L.A., how do we tell whether the tax is actually a net win for the city?
Background sources
- The Unintended Consequences of Measure ULA — superadmin
- Taxing Tomorrow: Measure ULA's Impact on Multifamily Housing Production and Potential Reforms — superadmin
- The Effect of the Los Angeles Mansion Tax on Property Tax Revenue | Cato Institute — Cato Institute
- L.A.’s ULA Transfer Tax Further Hamstrings Investment: Report – Commercial Observer — Greg Cornfield June 2, 2026 7:50 pm
- Affordable housing — Laist
- Study Estimates $177 Million Hit to Mansion Tax — Kari Hamanaka