UCLA researchers have found more than half of Los Angeles County residents are worried they might be displaced because of rising housing costs.
The UCLA Luskin Los Angeles Initiative and The California Endowment released the 2018 Quality of Life Index, an annual study surveying LA County residents’ quality of life. Survey questions asked residents to identify issues they faced and rate their quality of life in nine categories, including cost of living, education and public safety, on a scale of 10 to 100.
Researchers conducted the QLI survey in both English and Spanish from March 3 to 20, and surveyed nearly 1,500 county residents.
Residents on average rated cost of living 43 points, below the average rating of 50 points in 2016. Eight of the categories received lower ratings than 2016, with the jobs and the economy category being the only one to receive a higher rating.
The UCLA Luskin Los Angeles Initiative is headed by Zev Yaroslavsky, a former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The California Endowment is a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that aims to expand health care access to underserved communities. The QLI was also prepared with public opinion research firm Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates.
