Posted on 11/04/2024
HOUSING IN LA: TWO BIG WINS
The Dodgers weren’t the only ones winning this week!
Council took two massive steps to protect renters from harassment and prevent unfair evictions:
New Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance
LA’s had an Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance on the books since 2021, but enforcement has been essentially nonexistent. This new law will finally allow the city to crack down on abusive landlords in four key ways:
• Expanding the definition of harassment to include grossly negligent or reckless behavior, such as threatening tenants’ guests, taking away services like parking, or entering a unit without proper permission.
• Making it illegal for a landlord to refuse rental assistance or slow-walk paperwork to make it easier to evict a tenant.
• Making cases easier to prosecute, because victims can now hire private attorneys, thanks to new guarantees for compensation. Previously, cases were never prosecuted because City Attorneys weren’t assigned, and private attorneys had little incentive to take them on.
• Increasing penalties for people found guilty of harassment.
What's Next?
The new protections will go into effect in early December.
Closing the 'Renoviction' Loophole
Right now, many renters in LA can face eviction when landlords conduct "substantial remodels," offering no relocation assistance and no guarantees of being able to return after the work is completed.
To make matters worse, landlords frequently exaggerate the need for renovations to make it easier to kick families out of their homes – which is happening right now across the city, including on Mohawk St in Echo Park.
This week we passed a motion to ensure that in the rare cases when these renovations are needed, tenants can have a home with the same rent, so they don’t become homeless just because their apartment needs repairs.
What's Next?
The City Attorney will now prepare the “ordinance” (essentially the actual law) for council to vote on in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates as this legislation gets finalized!
Two More Quick Hits!
1. Investigating New Interim Housing on a Vacant Lot
This week, council passed our motion to conduct a feasibility study about opening a new interim site on a lot on Sierra Vista Ave in East Hollywood that’s been vacant for over a decade.
This motion is a big step in the process toward opening a new interim housing site because it allows us to study the site with the City Administrative Officer (CAO) – as well as look for funding sources to build and open the site once the study is completed.
2. City of Champions – Go Dodgers!
After a thrilling season capped by a dominant performance against the Yankees, we celebrated with Shohei, Freddie, Mookie, and the whole team at the World Series Victory Parade outside City Hall on Friday.
Let’s keep the energy alive and celebrate responsibly throughout the weekend — this is a win for all of LA!
