Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors will vote July 7 on a proposal that could restrict how housing providers sell rental properties in unincorporated parts of the county. The California Apartment Association is urging housing providers to contact their supervisor before the vote.

The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA, would give qualified mission-driven affordable housing organizations preferential rights to purchase certain rental properties before they reach the open market. The policy would apply to multifamily properties with five or more units and mobile home parks in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

Supervisor Hilda L. Solis authored the county motion. The Homelessness and Housing Committee advanced the item June 25, and it now appears as Item 4 on the July 7 Board of Supervisors agenda. See the supporting documents for more detail.

County officials have framed COPA as an anti-displacement tool meant to expand tenant protections, increase homeownership access and support long-term affordability. CAA opposes the proposal, arguing it would restrict housing providers’ ability to sell on the open market, add new delays and administrative costs to real estate transactions, and discourage investment in rental housing.

CAA opposes any policy that would interfere with an owner’s ability to sell property in an expedient manner and create unnecessary barriers to housing investment. Property owners should be free to sell in an open and competitive marketplace without government-mandated roadblocks, according to the association.

If the Board of Supervisors approves the motion, it would direct the county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to draft a recommended COPA ordinance within 180 days and complete a written review of broader tenant and community purchasing frameworks within 120 days.

CAA is urging housing providers in unincorporated Los Angeles County to contact their county supervisor through CAA’s automated grassroots advocacy platform before the July 7 vote.