BizFed (Los Angles County Business Federation) released the findings of its Annual Pulse Poll today demonstrating a massive increase in concern for housing costs throughout Los Angeles County. Housing, Land Use and Homelesses issues moved from low-level concerns in 2017 to among highest priorities of the business community in this year’s poll. Taxes and fees again ranked as the number one business concern, as it has since 2011, and despite a growing economy the employment outlook is largely similar to recent years’ results.
“Business leaders are ringing the alarm bell on the housing crisis,” Tracy Hernandez, BizFed Founding CEO, said in a released statement to the media. “Most importantly they’re drawing the connection between the high cost of housing and the County’s astronomically high poverty rate, as well as their evaluation of whether to relocate their business.”
The annual BizFed poll represents a snapshot of key issues of concern in the Los Angeles County business community. The BizFed Pulse Poll was first taken in 2008, and has for a decade asked BizFed Member associations about issues they deem most critical to the ongoing operation and growth of their business. This year, the BizFed poll received 710 responses from business leaders in more than two dozen industries throughout Los Angeles County.
“This marks 10 years of measuring business sentiment in LA County, and we have here a unique and valuable yardstick for how the view of employers have evolved over the last decade,” said David Fleming, Founding Chair of BizFed. “In BizFed’s first poll, taken in the midst of the financial meltdown in 2008, Access to Capital was the #1 concern of business. Just behind it was State and Local Budgets, which were plagued by deficits at the time. Now we see Housing – already one of BizFed’s key advocacy issues – rising to the top.”
Click here to read the full press release!