TAKE ACTION! Mixed-Income Housing Ordinance Passes LA City Council Vote

Strong organizing efforts by Housing LA and its community and labor allies paid off on May 27th when the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a framework for the Mixed-Income Housing Ordinance. Councilmembers Reyes and Wesson authored the motion, and the vote was 13-0, with Councilmembers Weiss and Cardenas absent. The Council also allocated $400,000 for environmental studies that may be necessary for the ordinance.

Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the LA County Federation of Labor spoke in support of the ordinance, describing how workers in Los Angeles cannot afford to live where they work and how a lack of housing that people can afford is displacing families and dismantling communities. Former Santa Monica City Councilmember Antonio Vazquez noted that his city's Mixed-Income Housing Ordinance has resulted in low-income families being able to afford homes throughout his city.

Also in support, Pastor Ryan Bell, Hollywood Adventist Church and LA Voice member, described how more and more of his parishioners are being forced to live in overcrowded and unacceptable living conditions. ACORN leader Olivia Lambert-Bush urged the Council to pass an ordinance now. And, Kendra Moore, POWER leader from Venice, asked Council members to acknowledge that housing is a human right, and a strong ordinance is necessary because too many Angelenos are being denied an affordable place to live.

Speaking in support of the ordinance, Council President Eric Garcetti praised Housing LA for all of its work on housing policy in the past decade, and emphasized that he will work with its members to pass a strong ordinance. Councilmember Janice Hahn, remarked that the Council should be sensitive to the needs of the city's 2 million workers, 50% of whom earn less than $25,000 per year and can not find homes they can afford. Councilmember Dennis Zine also stating his support for the ordinance noted that unfortunately, the city recently approved several projects without requiring any affordable units. Finally, Council Member Ed Reyes commented that it had taken the city seven-years to finally put a Mixed Income Housing ordinance on the table, and that he is eager to achieve passage as quickly as possible.
This Council vote moves passage of an ordinance one step closer. The planning department is now charged with coming back to the HCED and PLUM Committees with a detailed draft of the statute (set-aside percentages, income targeting, etc.) in mid-September, 2009.

Housing LA and its allies will continue to organize community support for a strong ordinance, prepared for the final Council votes later this year.

 and contact your LA City Council Member at the SCANPH ACTION CENTER!