Project Labor Agreements and Affordable Housing Production Costs in Los Angeles

Revisiting the Effects of the Proposition HHH Project Labor Agreement Using Cost Data from Completed Projects

Jason M. Ward

ResearchPublished Aug 13, 2024

This study estimates the effects of a project labor agreement (PLA) requiring union construction labor on the production costs of publicly funded permanent supportive housing projects aimed at addressing chronic homelessness in Los Angeles. The results indicate that the PLA added 21 percent to total development costs. Additional evidence presented suggests that longer project completion time is one potential mechanism driving this cost effect.

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RAND Style Manual
Ward, Jason M., Project Labor Agreements and Affordable Housing Production Costs in Los Angeles: Revisiting the Effects of the Proposition HHH Project Labor Agreement Using Cost Data from Completed Projects, RAND Corporation, RR-A1362-2, 2024. As of September 4, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1362-2.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Ward, Jason M., Project Labor Agreements and Affordable Housing Production Costs in Los Angeles: Revisiting the Effects of the Proposition HHH Project Labor Agreement Using Cost Data from Completed Projects. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1362-2.html.
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This research was conducted by the Center for Housing and Homelessness, part of the Community Health and Environmental Policy Program within RAND Social and Economic Well-Being.

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