AAHOA Members Show Up to LA City Council Meeting To Address Critical Hotel Ordinance Concerns

The LA City Council read for the first time a revised ordinance that would require police permits for hotels. The ordinance also included other measures, such as a Voluntary Housing Program that would place unhoused individuals in vacant guest rooms at hotels on a volunteer basis. AAHOA sent a letter to the LA City Council, as well as a memo strongly supporting the proposal for the Voluntary Housing Program (for unhoused individuals), expressing concerns regarding the police permitting sections, and asking the City Council to send this section back to the Committee.

At the council meeting on Tuesday, November 29, AAHOA Members made their stance clear. Despite Councilmember John Lee's motion to bifurcate the ordinance, specifically by sending the permitting section back to the committee, this effort was met with objection by the Council President. Nevertheless, Councilman Lee acknowledged and commended AAHOA’s tireless efforts in protecting hotel owners, a significant number of whom are minority and immigrant hoteliers.

“We feel we have the Councilmember's support. The LA City Council definitely heard and saw us,” Rachel Stone, AAHOA Director of State Government Affairs Western Region, shared.

Here is some additional background on the initial petition: 

• The petition to utilize vacant hotel rooms for unhoused individuals was initially going to voters on the proposed March 2024 ballot. On November 21, 2023, the LA City Council passed an ordinance with language from the March 2024 ballot.

• Language impacting the hotel police permit section (Sec.103.400 - 409) was added to the original motion without the hotelier's input. On November 20, 2023, the LA Police Commission released a draft for the hotel permitting process. This new language would require hoteliers to submit police permit applications yearly (Sec.103.403.b) to be eligible for business licenses and a five-year penalty for a violation (Sec.103.404.a). The new language also lists grounds for permit application denials (Sec. 103.404), including grounds for disciplinary action (e.g., a hotel manager who has been convicted of a felony) (Sec.103.406).

Looking ahead, AAHOA remains committed to the cause and plans to continue working towards amending the ordinance. There is an expectation that permit applications will likely commence in July 2024.