On March 7th, Los Angeles voters will cast their ballots on Measure S, a housing moratorium that would block the construction of thousands of homes each year, including many affordable units.

Framed as a way to "Save Our Neighborhoods," what Measure S really amounts to is nostalgia in the form of a ballot initiative: an effort to reclaim some idealized past version of LA that probably never even existed, and certainly didn’t serve all Angelenos fairly or equitably. Worse, it looks to the past for answers just three months after voters overwhelmingly endorsed a forward-looking vision for their city in the form of Measures M, HHH, and JJJ.

A lot has been written about the likely consequences of this initiative, and it can be hard to keep everything straight. In an effort to summarize some of the key messages from those opposed to Measure S, I've compiled many of the most influential arguments, articles, and endorsements here, in one place. I couldn't include everything that's been written on the initiative, but please let me know if you think I've missed any critical materials.

What the Initiative Actually Says

There's a lot going on in Measure S, so first let me explain its major components. This is just an overview, and you're welcome to read the initiative for yourself, but fair warning: it's got a lot going on, and even after reading it a dozen times I still find new complications every time I go through it. The complexity alone should have you leaning toward a No vote. California has a long track record of unintended consequences resulting from "ballot box planning."

The most important aspect of Measure S is its 2-year moratorium on zone changes and height district changes, and its permanent ban on general plan amendments for developments less than 15 acres in size (which is basically all of them). Because the general plan and zoning in Los Angeles is very out of date, this means that a very large amount of the housing being built today—especially housing on surface parking lots, run down commercial strips, and vacant industrial sites—would be banned for the next several years, at least.