On Oct. 23, the Los Angeles City Council’s Housing Committee approved a motion introduced by Councilmen David Ryu, 4th District, and Mike Bonin, 11th District, that seeks to reform how the Ellis Act is enforced in Los Angeles.

The Ellis Act, a state law passed in 1985, allows landlords to evict tenants in order to go out of the rental business and has been used to “flip” affordable apartments into condominiums and other projects. Though the city of Los Angeles is unable to stop Ellis Act evictions without state action, it can change some of the requirements landlords must meet in order to “Ellis out” a tenant.

“We can and must do more to protect our renters and affordable housing stock,” Ryu said.

This motion, if approved by council, would seek options to increase the relocation payments made to tenants displaced by the Ellis Act. At present, landlords who use the Ellis Act to evict tenants are required to pay them relocation assistance, which varies depending on a tenant’s length of residency.

The motion also calls for tenants to have the right of first refusal on new units built where their previous units were demolished, and that these units be made available to them at below market rate. It also seeks options for increasing the affordable housing requirement, currently at 20%, for new building construction, and options for making sure developers seeking to benefit from affordable housing or density bonuses do not put the affordable housing units they are legally required to build toward meeting an incentive threshold.

Finally, the motion seeks options for the city to acquire affordable units that are at risk of being destroyed or taken off the market.

The motion now heads to City Council.