Of all the elements that make or break student life and the lives of Angelenos at large, it is perhaps housing choice and availability which wields one of the largest impacts. On March 7, L.A. voters will have the power to make a substantial impact on the future of development and housing availability for the city and more importantly, student housing through Measure S, known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative.

In an effort to block any general or specific site amendments to the largely outdated L.A. city zoning code, Measure S, aims to halt all large-scale development in the city of Los Angeles by suspending the zoning code.

It is no secret that housing in Los Angeles is expensive. Rent costs in Los Angeles now run above those in other metropolitan cities such as Chicago, Miami and Seattle. Proponents of the initiative hope that it will “fight corruption and backroom deals,” “empower Los Angeles communities,” “fight traffic” and “[encourage] affordable housing,” according to the Yes on Measure S website..

However, the only people Measure S would help if passed are homeowners who have the privilege of already owning property in Los Angeles prior to the measure’s implementation. This initiative will do nothing to help, and everything to hurt, efforts to solve the housing crisis. The Not In My Backyard movement of Los Angeles by residents who oppose new developments because they are close to them has become a toxic force which flies in the face of community demand and market forces.

Though local politicians like to blanket solutions under the shroud of government mandates and initiatives, the real key to alleviating our housing crisis and high rent is, simply put, more housing. The barrier to entry for home ownership is high in Los Angeles. A ban on development would not only make homeownership an even more difficult pursuit, but it would also exacerbate the housing situation for lower-income renters and students. In this sense, Measure S is a government tool of cronyism utilized by the wealthy to maintain exclusive grasp over their premium lifestyle while disadvantaging poorer non-owners.

What is even more troubling for the USC community in particular is the potential halt of student housing development near the University Park campus. With each new development around USC, the options for housing increase, and the strain of finding suitable options decreases. Greater housing availability also helps decrease commuting pressures and drives down rent in the area through further housing competition.

It is now commonplace, in the face of Los Angeles’ outdated zoning code, that new large-scale commercial developments undergo an amendment and strewn-out entitlements process as opposed to conforming to existing zoning. For large-scale housing developments in the University Park area, such as University Gateway Apartments, West 27th Place Student Apartments, Tuscany Apartments and the Lorenzo, it is common that these developments adjust height requirements, negotiate lot density, increase the number of floors through park fees and so on. With Measure S, the negotiations that take place between developers and the city would not only be halted, but the developments that result from these negotiations would be as well. Housing options that some students rely on could be struck down, potentially causing both demand and rates to spike.

Coming March 7, it will be up to Los Angeles to come to vote no on Measure S and protect housing availability. Already, Mayor Eric Garcetti, along with the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects, a number of local Chamber of Commerce groups, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, a number of County Supervisors and City Council members and a long list of homeless advocacy groups have expressed opposition to Measure S. In the words of the opposition’s public relations campaign, the government overreach and overall poor policies and lack of forethought proposed by Measure S simply “go too far.”