Yesterday, LA City Council voted on a package of tenants rights motions. The policy being debated wasn’t extreme. Frankly, it was the bare minimum of action needed to protect Angelenos.
Almost all of it failed to pass.
Here's what happened, and how we move forward now. (thread)
Almost all of it failed to pass.
Here's what happened, and how we move forward now. (thread)
Councilmembers framed their objections to basic tenant rights around the fear of being sued for overreaching to protect people.
(This is the same Council that has been repeatedly told that their policies criminalizing homelessness are not just illegal, but unconstitutional.)
(This is the same Council that has been repeatedly told that their policies criminalizing homelessness are not just illegal, but unconstitutional.)
The Council and City Attorney invented every possible excuse to not act, and ultimately refused to even tell us why:
The City Attorney inexplicably made his legal memo arguing that the tenant protections were illegal *confidential*, and the Council voted not to make it public.
The City Attorney inexplicably made his legal memo arguing that the tenant protections were illegal *confidential*, and the Council voted not to make it public.
The tenant protections being considered at the meeting yesterday weren’t radical. Other cities in California have passed them. This wasn't the rent forgiveness we'll likely need, or even a guarantee of an eviction lawyer as SF and NY renters have.
But even these measures failed.
But even these measures failed.
Yesterday's meeting was nothing less than a conspiracy to limit our imagination. To tell us that only half-measures will be taken to protect vulnerable Angelenos, and even those half-measures won't be able to pass.
I refuse to submit to that thinking. We have to demand better.
I refuse to submit to that thinking. We have to demand better.
One thing the meeting showed is political action isn’t enough in this moment. Community organizations provide expansive policy ideas and direct aid to fill in the massive gaps.
Like @LATenantsUnion
@GroundGameLA
@SunriseMvmtLA
@PublicCounsel
@DSA_LosAngeles
@KtownforAll
and more
Like @LATenantsUnion
@GroundGameLA
@SunriseMvmtLA
@PublicCounsel
@DSA_LosAngeles
@KtownforAll
and more
More than anything, what yesterday’s meeting showed is that we need to do more than just think about immediate protections for people.
We need to shift the window of possibility from the bare minimum to a real vision of an LA that protects its vulnerable, not just the wealthy.
We need to shift the window of possibility from the bare minimum to a real vision of an LA that protects its vulnerable, not just the wealthy.
We need to start imagining a city that doesn’t have to exclusively rely on an unreliable federal government to provide basic needs like rent forgiveness and jobs for a region that may now be looking at 31% (!!!) unemployment by May. dailynews.com/2020/04/22/for…
We are working on that vision now --on what a post-pandemic city can look like that doesn’t just take us back to the perilous situation that so many were facing before COVID, but that brings us to a more equitable and sustainable future.
Wanna help? contact@nithyaforthecity.com
Wanna help? contact@nithyaforthecity.com
