“Reports of landlords demanding ’sex for rent’ may seem shocking and uncommon to most people,” stated Gaytan, “but for poor and low income tenants, encounters with predatory landlords who take advantage of the economic and social barriers these tenants face is tragically much more common than reported.”

LAFLA’s housing unit launched an extensive investigation after several women from the building stepped forward and described the same pattern of repeated sexual harassment at the hands of management, employees and the owner of the residential hotel.  Accounts of harassment included repeated taunting, groping, and quid pro quo in which the women were told their rent would be waived if they acquiesced to demands for sexual favors.

In response to the investigation, several former and current residents stepped forward as witnesses and described similar experiences. For the plaintiffs and several of the witnesses, the Lafayette was their first home after being emancipated from the foster care system or after a period of homelessness.

“Cases involving sexual harassment of tenants highlight how a severe lack of resources can leave tenants vulnerable to multiple forms of abuse by an unscrupulous landlord,” continued Gaytan. “Many low income tenants, especially those who recently left homelessness,  are often prime targets of this type of unlawful conduct by landlords, managers and those with power to decide the fate of their homes.”

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three women and the tenants’ rights group Coalition for Economic Survival, included claims based on violations of federal and state fair housing laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender. The parties reached a settlement just before a jury trial was to commence. As result, the court has entered a consent decree order which calls for monetary compensation, prevents one set of defendants from ever having any involvement with the Lafayette Hotel and requires owner Balubahai Patel to meet certain training and reporting requirements designed to enforce fair housing obligations.

Mr. Patel, who owns scores of residential properties throughout California, will be required to undergo sexual harassment training and obtain certification in fair housing obligations. He will also be required to demand such training of his employees involved in the operation of each residential property and institute a new written anti-harassment policy at his properties. Tenants of Mr. Patel’s properties must be given a copy of HUD-issued know-your-rights fliers concerning harassment and management must exhibit an informational poster on laws against harassment. Mr. Patel, whose business plan includes leasing his residential buildings to individuals who then act as landlord to the residents, must now also include in future leases a requirement that operators and their employees undergo fair housing training.

The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the consent decree and defendants will be required to submit certificates of compliance to the court, a key provision, according to Gaytan. “The consent decree entered in this case is a tremendous benefit to the tenants of this building and will have a much broader impact. At each of the over thirty properties owned by the defendant, managers will be asked to provide tenants with informational fliers concerning sexual harassment and fair housing laws and will be required to complete sexual harassment training.  This requirement imposed on the owner of multiple properties statewide will cause much needed ’know your rights’ information to reach hundreds of tenants who would otherwise remain isolated.”

Reprinted from “LAFLA Matters,” the newsletter of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

Those concerns has been increased with the announced on Monday that the Central City Association (CCA) has endorsed Wendy Greuel’s bid for Mayor.

Demonstration Outside CCA Office Protesting Its Pro-Gentrification Stance

The CCA is a business advocacy group that lobbies city and state government to grease the wheels for development in downtown. Besides landlords and developers, it also represents large corporations, such as Chevron, Walmart, Verizon, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

The Central City Association has been a consistent opponent of tenants’ rights, rent control and restricting condo conversions that displaces tenants.

Some examples of CCA’s efforts include opposing a temporary rent freeze introduced by LA City Council Member Richard Alarcon that would have given the City Council time to debate potential amendments to the rent control ordinance without saddling LA tenants with more unjust rent increases.

CCA opposed LA City Council Member and Mayoral Candidate Eric Garcetti’s amendment to a local provision of the Ellis Act  (state law prohibiting local jurisdictions from preventing landlords from going out of the rent business), which would require developers the choice of constructing a new, rent stabilized building (where rent control would extend to every new unit, regardless of size of demolished building), or replacing the lost rent stabilized units one for one with units that would be affordable to those making 80% of AMI or less, up to 20% of the total building units. It was a provision that CES strongly supported and was passed.

CCA opposed a moratorium on condo conversions and demolitions in Los Angeles. From 2001 to 2007 nearly 15,000 LA rent control units were lost due to condo conversions and demolitions to build new condos. City Council District 2, represented by Wendy Greuel at the time, had the third largest number of rent controlled units lost in the City.

“A moratorium sends absolutely the wrong message at absolutely the wrong time, because the condo market is slowing down significantly,” said Carol Schatz, who heads the CentralCity Association. “And while there may be some projects still in the pipeline, there aren’t that many. It scares investors anytime you talk about a moratorium, and let’s not forget that housing drives the L.A. economy.

CES Executive Director Larry Gross responded, “In other words, CCA was essentially saying when the condo market is hot, it is unfair to destroy pending investments by enacting a moratorium. When the market cools, it is unfair because it will deter the formation of new speculator groups seeking to profit by evicting tenants and eliminating rent-controlled housing.”

Gross observed that, “It appears that Greuel has been able to coalesce the forces that have been at the forefront of the fight to destroy rent control and undermine tenants’ rights behind her mayoral candidacy.”

Besides AAGLA and CCA, the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors Local PAC, the Los Angeles County Federation of Business (Biz Fed), the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s Jobs PAC, and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) PAC are all supporting Greuel.

All these endorsements are based on the belief that Greuel will support them on issues of concern to them,” said Gross. “They clearly believe that Wendy Greuel would be a better Mayor for landlords and developers. This is a very important factor that tenants must keep in mind when they cast their ballots for Mayor on May 21, Election Day.”

In addition, homeless advocacy groups, such as LACAN, have been actively opposing the CCA’s “Downtown 2020″ plan, which they state calls for no affordable housing to be built in Downtown, and increased police and criminalization efforts against homeless and poor residents.

CCA was also a key opponent to labor unions and supporters efforts to extend the City’s living wage ordinance to hotels near LAX.

The judge ruled purely on the issue of abstention. He felt strongly that this was an issue that should go to either State court or the Federal Court of Appeals. But, he did not rule on the merits of our case. As a result, there is strong determination by the attorneys and plaintiffs to continue on.

Our attorneys at the Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the Western Center on Law and Poverty and the Disability Rights Legal Center are weighing the next step to take. But, there will, most certainly, be a next step!

The courts cannot be allowed to move forward with this court closure and consolidation policy. The impact would be devastating to poor people and people living with disabilities.

As reported in an earlier post (click here to read), we believe this action will also result in a significant increase in unjust and illegal evictions. The courts must not be allowed to slam the door of justice in the face of the people we all serve.

The 26 courts where unlawful detainer cases were filed are being reduced to five courts in the downtown Stanley Mosk Courthouse, or in Pasadena, Long Beach, Santa Monica, or Antelope Valley.

In response, the Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and the Disability Rights Legal Center are suing the Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of the Coalition for Economic Survival, People Organized for Westside Renewal, Union de Vecinos, the Independent Living Center of Southern California and several impacted individuals.

The lawsuit claims the state’s response to its judicial funding crisis violated the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the First and 14th Amendments.

Facing a $56 million to $85 million budget shortfall for the fiscal year, the closings will include 10 regional courthouses.

There are 70,000 unlawful detainers – eviction cases – and 60,000 small claims that go through the Superior Court each year.

Unlawful detainers are filed when a tenant refuses to leave an apartment or leased property after receiving an eviction notice.

The complaint states: “The Court’s plan delivers a devastating blow to individuals with disabilities and violates its obligation to make courts accessible to people with disabilities. Yet, as the Court has acknowledged, it did not even consider the impact of its plan on tenants with disabilities.”

It also states, “The Court’s actions will force thousands of low-income Black, Latino and Asian tenants and tenants with disabilities to spend five hours or more traveling to distant courthouses and back, simply to have their day in court.”

At a March 14^th news conference on the steps of the Los Angeles Federal Courthouse, where the lawsuit was filed, CES Executive Director Larry Gross stated, “Unfortunately, the unbalanced scales of justice are being further weighted against low income and working people with this outrageous plan of court house closures and consolidation.”

Joined by other organization plaintiffs and legal service organization attorneys, Gross further said that landlord will have greater incentives to now evict tenants even if there is no basis or legal justification, because chances become high that many of these tenants won’t respond to the eviction notice or will not show up for the hearing, because they have no way to get to court, thus will default and lose there eviction case.

Following the news conference, several blocks away in front of the downtown Stanley Mosk LA County Superior Courthouse, hundreds of others packed the street to protest the court closures. The demonstration was organized by the Service Employees International Union, the ACLU/Southern California and others.

The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles is one of the key landlord organizations that CES has battled over the years on rent control and tenants’ rights issues.

“AAGLA endorsements are based on the candidates they believe would be more supportive of landlord issues and will vote on bills of concern to them,” said Larry Gross, Executive Director of CES. “They clearly believe that Wendy Greuel is a better candidate for landlords than her opponents. This is a very important factor that tenants should keep in mind when they cast their ballots on Election Day in the Los Angeles Mayoral race.”

Greuel’s news release announcing the AAGLA endorsement states, “I really appreciate this endorsement from the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. This endorsement is a reflection of the dynamic alliance of support that my campaign has built across Los Angeles. As Mayor, I plan on working with them to ensure that residents throughout our City have an abundance of affordable housing options and that every Angeleno has a place they can call home.”

“To say AAGLA creates affordable housing is a real misuse of the term,” said Gross. “AAGLA has never provided affordable housing for low-income renters unless forced to do so by inclusionary housing laws. In fact, their efforts to oppose rent control and support the weakening of tenants’ rights are positions that lead to less affordable housing which diminishes the ability of Angelenos, particularly low income and working families, from securing a place they can call home.”

Landlord/Developer
Support To Greuel

In addition to today’s endorsement, Greuel has a myriad of key business endorsements, including: the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors Local PAC, the Los Angeles County Federation of Business (Biz Fed), the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s Jobs PAC, and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) PAC.

“These are all groups that have been at the forefront of the fight to destroy rent control and undermine tenants’ rights. Based on this, we have to warn renters that Wendy Greuel does not appear to be a friend of tenants and we urge that they strongly consider this when they cast their ballot on March 5,” Gross stated.

CES has been attempting to get all LA Mayoral and City Council Candidates to tell voters specifically what they would do, if elected, to protect rent control, prevent tenant displacement and preserve existing affordable housing. It appears, with the AAGLA endorsement, that CES got an answer from Wendy Greuel.

The Crowd at the Debate.

It was with these concerns that we headed out to a debate between candidates running for the 13^th LA City Council District on January 24, sponsored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood Chamber Political Action Committee. Given the sponsor, one would rightly think that issues affecting renters and working people would not be a priority for discussion at such a pro-business forum.

It was exactly why we were interested in attending. You get a better picture of who a candidate is by what he or she promises the group they are speaking to and seeking support from.

Sadly, the panel of candidates at the packed Taglyan Cultural Complex on Vine Street in the heart of Hollywood did not include women. Well, except for former 13^th District Council Member and Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg, but she was there to moderate the debate.

L to R: Matt Szabo, Josh Post, Mitch O’Farrell, Emile Mack, Alex De Ocampo, John Choi and Moderator Jackie Goldberg

The six candidates participating were John Choi, a former staff member of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Alex De Ocampo, Senior Director of Saban Family Foundation, Emile Mack, LAFD Assistant Fire Chief, Mitch O’Farrell, Former District Field Director to Councilman Eric Garcetti, Josh Post, State Deputy Attorney General, and Matt Szabo, Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Villaraigosa.

Many candidates appeared to be pandering to the pro-business crowd with commitments to ensure public safety, fund the fire and police departments, provide tax credits to the movie industry, provide tax breaks to small businesses, doing away with the city’s gross receipt tax and curbing the “aggressiveness” of Superman, Darth Vader, Wonder Woman and the other costumed characters on Hollywood Bl. with many of the candidates stating that their behavior threatens tourism.

The candidates were non-distinguishable for most of the discussion. But, then the question was raised if they supported the Hollywood Community Plan recently approved by the City Council.

The Hollywood Community Plan is controversial for providing the green light for more, and denser, development. Developers and the business community fully support it. Many residents are livid over proposed zoning changes that could make it easier to erect skyscrapers. Mayor Villaraigosa has called it “elegant density.”

Each of the candidates uniformity expressed support for the Hollywood Plan, but one candidate added something that we were hoping to hear.

Matt Szabo stated, “I support density around transit. I think that’s the way of the future. I think we have enough cars on the road. However I am not going to do it at the expense of low income communities, immigrants and seniors that have housing here today. I’m going to be very careful not to lose rent controlled units, affordable units. In fact, I want to use the Community Plan to the greatest extent possible, to preserve and extend affordable housing to the immigrants and seniors and low income communities we have here in Hollywood.”

The only other candidate to mention housing was John Choi, but he only spoke about the need to produce more diverse housing that included workforce, senior and affordable housing. He, disappointingly, did not mention the need to preserve existing affordable housing.

There were some differences between candidates regarding support of the proposed city sales tax increase, also on the March 5 ballot. CES is strongly opposed to this measure as it is a regressive tax that unfairly and disproportionately impacts low income and working people. The sales tax proposal came about after heavy lobbying from the real estate industry which resulted in the city abandoning an original proposal that would have increased the tax on real estate sales and substituted it with the half-cent sales tax hike plan.

All the candidates stated their opposition to the sales tax increase, with Szabo and Mitch O’Farrell calling it a regressive tax that hits the lowest income residents the hardest, with the exception of John Choi. Choi said he supported the sales tax increase as a way to save jobs.

CES encourages voters to urge these candidates to address tenants’ rights and affordable housing issues. After all, the City of Los Angeles is a city of renters — more than 60% of its residents are tenants. One would hope that these candidates will tell voters where they stand on issues which directly affect the majority of Angelinos.

For voters of the 13^th Council District this chance is coming up next week. Next Tuesday, January 29th, at 6:30 PM, LA Voice PICO, a CES ally, is hosting a City Council District 13 Candidate Forum at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 6657 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. Affordable housing is a primary issue they will address.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

By Betty Pleasant, Contributing Editor

GRINCHES, ALL OF ’EM — The Coalition for Economic Survival and Larry Gross rode to the rescue of the Cirque du Soleil performers during the holidays when the performers learned that they were losing their jobs, as well as their homes, for the new year. It was unexpectedly announced Dec. 18 that the Cirque du Soleil’s show “Iris” would not run in Los Angeles indefinitely, but would close on Jan. 19. The performers — many of whom were from Russia, Slovakia, Canada, Sweden and other U.S. states — had signed long-term rental leases with landlords, but in addition to facing relocation as a result of the show’s closing, the artists had to deal with landlords who would not let them out of their leases and were demanding thousands of dollars from the dancers, acrobats, contortionists and others in the show. A Cirque du Soleil management official contacted CES for assistance for his soon-to-be-jobless and displaced performers, and CES brought along Bet Tzedek Legal Services, which handled the matter.

The Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) was the main advocate in securing these important laws.

Council Member Eric Garcetti, author of the Foreclosure Eviction Ordinance, states the case of why this crucial law needs to be extended another year.

First, On December 11, 2012, the Los Angeles City Council voted to extend the City’s Foreclosure Eviction Ordinance, proposed by LA City Council Member Eric Garcetti, to protect tenants living in rental properties not subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) from eviction on the grounds of foreclosure for another year. This Ordinance prohibits lenders from evicting any tenants in the City merely because of foreclosure on their landlords. Tenants living in rent controlled units have had these protections.

Days after the L.A. City Council then voted on December 14, 2012 in support of an ordinance introduced by Councilmember Paul Krekorian, in response to CES’ urging, to prohibit landlords from demanding that their tenants pay their rent only online.

Victory Secured as Vote Tally Board in Background Posts Unanimous LA City Council Vote in Support of City Council Member Paul Krekorian’s Ordinance to Prohibit Rent Payment Only Online Demands by Landlords (L to R: Bet Tzedek Legal Services Attorney Patricia Van Dyke, LA City Council Member Paul Krekorian, CES Executive Director Larry Gross & Woodlake Manor Apartments Tenants Association & CES Tenant Leader Dedon Kamathi – photo by Betsy Annas, CLA Office)

The ordinance mirrors a state law (SB 1055) authored by California State Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) that goes into effect on January 1, 2013, which provides protections to all California tenants. The LA ordinance will enable the Los Angeles Housing Department to enforce the law locally.

These two laws iced a successful years for CES in its fight for economic justice. In addition, in 2012 CES worked to win, achieve and/or provide:

• Cutting City of LA Parking Fine Fee Increases in Half

• Lead Paint Safe Work Practices Protection for California Low Income Utility Rate Payers Receiving Energy Efficient Upgrades from Contractor Under State Mandated Utility Programs

• Safer and Healthier Rental Units

• Needed Repairs for Tenants

• Legal Advice to Tenants in Dispute With Their Landlords

• Support for Labor Unions Fighting on Behalf of Workers to Secure Fair Wages & Working Conditions, Such as Walmart Workers

The most recent example of this is the Romney-Ryan outrageous claim that it is President Obama that is cutting Medicare, not them.

With this biggest of lies, one can’t imagine a room on this planet that can contain Rominocchio and his growing nose.

In attempt to deflect attacks and confuse voters, the Romney-Ryan is boldly stating that to pay for Obamacare, President Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare.

And while it is true that Obama made these cuts, what Romney-Ryan are refusing to reveal is that these cuts are coming solely from the healthcare industry, healthcare providers and drug companies in an effort to keep overall costs down and to help cut the deficit. None of the Obama cuts will in anyway impact or be passed on to Medicare recipients.

ABCNews.com fact-checked an earlier claim by Romney and found a Kaiser Family Health report that said the government will reduce Medicare spending, but won’t cut benefits. Kaiser said they expect Medicare spending to decrease because Obama’s Affordable Care Act will reduce fraud and overpayments to private insurers.

However, the Medicare plan under Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan will end Medicare care as we know it and will increase seniors health costs by $6,350 a year.

The Romney-Ryan plan demonstrates their commitment to defending the interests of corporate America and the super rich, by protecting the healthcare and drug industry and putting the entire burden of their $700 billion Medicare cuts on seniors.

The Romney-Ryan Medicare voucher plan to pay competing private insurance companies will shift the risk and increased costs for care from Medicare to the patient. Some patients would have to choose between paying for better coverage and having more money for food and other items.

If the bill for the hospital turns out to be much higher than expected, and the Medicare client had opted for a larger cost-sharing plan in exchange for not paying for wider coverage, they will face much bigger bills.

Judy Feder, a professor of public policy at Georgetown University, warned that competition among private companies is also problematic to Medicare beneficiaries. Under the current Medicare system, costs and risks are pooled, lowering costs for the sick and raising them for the healthy. Under Romney-Ryan’s plan, private insurers will favor healthy individuals, who will favor cheaper private plans, so it could force sick beneficiaries to choose the Medicare option as a last resort, she said.

“What that does is separate the healthy from the sick,” she said, adding that if those sick people are forced to choose Medicare, it will become more expensive for them because the program would be overwhelmed with sick, costly patients.

Feder said she is also concerned Romney-Ryan’s vouchers would be limited to an arbitrary rate of growth, meaning that if they can’t keep up with heath care costs, Medicare beneficiaries will have to pay the difference.

For voters, especially seniors, the choice could not be clearer.

In an effort to help low-income tenants receiving Section 8 project-based rental assistance and to preserve affordable housing, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded nearly $5 million to 15 nonprofit organizations through HUD’s new Tenant Resource Network (TRN).  The purpose of TRN is to make grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to assist, inform, educate and engage tenants living in certain Section 8-assisted properties at risk of losing affordability protections or project-based rental assistance.

“The Tenant Resource Network is designed to help working families who are at greatest risk of being

Boyle Apts, one of the many at-risk HUD subsidized affordable housing buildings in the Los Angeles area that CES has, thus far, helped to preserve.

priced out of their rental market,” said Carol Galante, HUD’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing.  “The whole purpose of this program is to empower families living in HUD-assisted housing, giving them the information and options they need to stay in their homes.”

The Los Angeles Center for Affordable Tenant Housing (LACATH) a non-profit community organization created and controlled by HUD tenants, which is a project of the Coalition for Economic Survival (CES), was awarded one of the 15 grants. CES, a leading Los Angeles tenants’ rights organization, has been organizing people for economic and social justice for the last 39 years.

LACATH and CES will assist tenants living in 2,501 HUD-identified units in 31 properties located in the Los Angeles Metro Area under the TRN program.

One goals of the TRN program is to assist tenants living in project-based Section 8 housing regarding their rights, responsibilities and options when a property owner ‘opts-out’ the program, pre-pays their mortgage, or repeatedly fails to meet HUD’s housing standards.  The second purpose of the program is preservation of HUD-assisted affordable housing by engaging tenants in efforts to preserve eligible properties as affordable housing.

JOB OPENING

To achieve this LACATH/CES is in the process of hiring Tenant Outreach and Education Organizers. If you are interested and qualified you are encouraged to apply. If you know someone who would be interest, let him or her know.

The applicant MUST meet these qualifications: 1) MUST have the ability to communicate in English and Spanish or Korean, 2) Have Good writing, speaking and research skills, 3) A valid driver’s California license, insurance and a dependable car is a must, 4) Have the ability to work evenings and weekends. (On some occasions work will require irregular and long hours), and 5) Must be able to maintain accurate records and have the ability to write timely, required reports on work.

Click here to see job announcement, details and how to apply.

Tenant activists were greatly concerned that, even though rent control has been held constitutional numerous times before, given the conservative and pro-business nature of the current Supreme Court majority, the future of rent control could be at-risk.

The case involved landlords James and Jeanne Harmon, who have lost earlier court attempts to get rent stabilization laws thrown out.

The Harmons inherited a building with three rent-controlled apartments near Central Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The Harmons say rent stabilization laws forces them to rent the apartments at rents 59 percent below market rate. They argue that by giving the tenants lifetime tenure with succession rights, the government has illegally taken their property.

A federal judge and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City threw out their lawsuit. Now the high court refused to review that decision.

CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEALS MAKES MAJOR EVICTION PROTECTION RULING

 
In Anchor Pacifica Management v. Sharon Green, the California Court of Appeals ruled that a management company operating a senior apartment complex developed with assistance from a local redevelopment agency and subject to agency oversight must have good cause when it evicts a tenant upon expiration of the tenants’ lease.

The groups that lined up to support Sharon Green best demonstrated the importance of this case.

An Amicus Curiae was filed for the Coalition for Economic Survival by Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Western Center on Law and Poverty, National Housing Law Project, on behalf of Defendant and Appellant Sharon Green.

In 2009, Anchor Pacifica Management served Sharon Green, who is disabled 
and receives federal income-supplement benefits, with a 90-day eviction notice. The notice did not provide any reason for the termination of her tenancy at the conclusion of her lease.

The City of Glendora Community Redevelopment Agency funded the building of Heritage Oaks Apartments by Anchor Pacifica, a private developer, which included affordable housing side aside units. Ms. Green lived in one of these affordable units.

Ms Green contended a trial court erred when it denied her motion to dismiss the eviction action on the ground it was without cause and it violated her right to due process under the state and federal constitutions or, in the alternative, failed to allow her to present this defense to the jury.

The Court of Appeals ruled in her favor.

Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Maria Elena Durazo

Speakers included Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Maria Elena Durazo, Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles President Rev. Eric Lee, as well as Walmart retail and warehouse workers.

The rally was a culmination of a two-day National Action Summit organized by the UFCW, which brought together organizers from across the country working on the Making Change at Walmart, a campaign challenging Walmart to help rebuild our economy and strengthen working families.

Anchored by the United Food & Commercial Workers, Making Change at Walmart is a coalition of Walmart associates, union members, small business owners, religious leaders, community organizations, women’s advocacy groups, multi-ethnic coalitions, elected officials and ordinary citizens who believe that changing Walmart is vital for the future of our country.

As the largest private employer in the United States and the world, Walmart is setting the standard for jobs. That standard is so low that hundreds of thousands of its employees are living in poverty—even many that work full-time.

Because of its size and political influence, Walmart is affecting much more than just working conditions. Although it has gained much fanfare for its efforts in environmentalism, sustainability has mostly been a public relations campaign for Walmart.

Across the country, workers and communities are coming together as one to say enough is enough. It is time for fundamental change at Walmart.

The largest Walmart demonstration in the history of the U.S. is now being planned in Los Angeles on June 30, 2012 to protest the plans to open a new Walmart grocery store in L.A.’s Chinatown. The protest will send a loud, unified and strong message, “No Walmart in Chinatown.”

CLICK TO SEE MORE PICTURES FROM WALMART DEMONSTRATION

Woodlake Manor Apartment Tenants Association testify at L.A. City Council hearing in their ongoing battle to outlaw their landlord's rent online only policy

The L.A. City Council’s Housing, Community Economic and Development (HCED) Committee unanimously voted on April 16, 2012 in support of a motion by Councilmember Paul Krekorian and seconded by Council Member Dennis Zine to prohibit landlords from demanding that their tenants pay their rent only online.

The motion is similar to a state bill, SB 1055, introduced by California State Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) that would that require landlords throughout the state to continue to accept rent by check or money order.

Larry Gross, Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) Executive Director testified at the Committee hearing that “many of these tenants are seniors, disabled and low income, and have lived in their homes for decades and, thus, are paying the lowest rent. In addition, many of these tenants do not own computers, are not computer literate, and are living on fixed incomes.”

Gross charged that, this policy is nothing more than a scheme to target long-term, low-rent tenants for eviction to obtain higher rents.”

Last September, tenants living in over 30 buildings owned by Jones and Jones Property Management, received notices informing them that a new rent online only policy would begin in December. Tenants from the Woodlake Manor Apartments Tenants Association, a Jones and Jones property in South Los Angeles where the rent online only policy was instituted, attended the hearing and also testified. CES has been assisting the tenant association.

In a major surprise to some, representatives of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles and California Apartment Association, as well as some individuals landlords testified in support of the motion and denounced the Jones and Jones rent online policy as unjust.

The motion will now head to the full City Council, which is expected to approve instructing City Attorney to draft the actual law.

In addition, Bet Tzedek Legal Services has filed a law suit against Jones and Jones on behalf of the tenants.

In the recent case of Tobias Crisales v. Monica Estrada, the landlord received a total of $950 per month in rent from the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) with the Section 8 tenant, Monica Estrada, paying $392 of the total rent.

The landlord, Tobias Crisales, wanted to evict the tenant in order to jack up the rent. The tenant was served a 90-day notice terminating the Section 8 contact citing it was for “business and economic reasons.”

After the 90 days were up the landlord then demanded the entire $950 rent from the tenant, an amount the tenant being of low income could not afford. The landlord than served the tenant with a 3 day pay or quit eviction notice. The tenant attempted to pay her portion of the rent, but the landlord refused to accept it.

The tenant was represented, pro bono, in this unjust eviction case by Michael Soloff of the high-powered downtown L.A. law firm of Munger, Tolless & Olson, together with Lane Nussbaum and Gurdeep Dhaliwal of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. The attorneys argued that the eviction was a violation of the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance’s (LARSO) just cause eviction provisions.

The landlord was represented by the notorious eviction attorney, Dennis Block.

In making its ruling, the court cited the previousd major tenants’ rights victory in the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals ruling in BARRIENTOS v. 1801-1825 MORTON LLC, that Los Angeles’ rent control law is not preempted by federal laws or regulations.

That decision, which has had a national impact, specially provided Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) Section 8 tenants living at Morton Gardens Apartments in Echo Park protection against their landlord’s attempt to evict them. CES had been assisting tenants at that building for many years.

In this case, Tobias Crisales v. Monica Estrada, the court found that, “The general ground of a business or economic reason as stated in the plaintiff’s 90-day notice to defendant does not fall within any of the enumerated categories for eviction under LARSO.

Accordingly, the plaintiff’s notice failed to terminate the Section 8 tenancy, and therefore the plaintiff’s subsequent three-day notice was improper, and the plaintiff was not entitled to possession of the premises.

The bottom line is that this is another huge victory for low-income Section 8 families that have been threatened and faced unjust evictions.

The concert was a culmination of Los Angeles events and part of a nationwide year-long series of conferences, concerts, and museum exhibits celebrating the centennial of Woody Guthrie’s birth.  Other local events included the naming the intersection of Fifth and Main streets in downtown LA, not far from Skid Row, as “Woody Guthrie Square” and a day-long conference with discussions at the University of Southern California that explored Woody Guthrie’s rise to fame in depression-era Los Angeles.

Jackson Browne & John Henry

The rousing concert included performances from Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Dawes, John Doe, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion, Joe Henry, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Morello, Van Dyke Parks, Joel Rafael, Cindy Wasserman and Rob Wasserman.

The festivities appropriately began with Sarah Lee Guthrie (Woody’s granddaughter and Arlo’s daughter) and Johnny Irion launching into “Union Maid.” “Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union, I’m sticking to the union ’til the day I die.”

Following were one after another of remarkable renditions of Guthrie’s classics, as well as new songs in which a number of these artists put music to writings by Guthrie that were not previously published.

Tom Morello

Tom Morello, whose performances blew the roof off Club Nokia, said it best stating to the crowd that Woody Guthrie was “the spirit that inhabits social-justice movements around the world.”

The music tells the story best. Following are a list of links to the videos I shot of the concert. Click on the songs to view and enjoy. You won’t be disappointed:

 
> The Ghost of Tom Joad, Tom Joad, Ease My Revolutionary Mind – Tom Morello
> Which Side Are You On? – Jackson Browne
>  Almost Gone (Ballad Of Bradley Manning) – Graham Nash
> Do Re Mi – John Doe, Val McCallum & Cindy Wasserman
> Pastures of Plenty – Van Dyke Parks
> New York Town – Joe Henry & Jackson Browne
> Here Comes That Rainbow – Kris Kristofferson

> Ramblin’ Round – Joe Henry & Kris Kristofferson
> There’ll Be No Church Tonight -  Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion
> Bound for Glory – Entire Ensemble
> This Land is Your Land (Rousing Finale) – Entire Ensemble

Is John D'Amico the Landlord's New Point Person?

Days after West Hollywood Council Member John D’Amico’s shocking proposal to raid the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which provides a resource to create desperately needed affordable housing, in order to subsidize landlords by financially helping them make repairs to their building was firmly rejected by his Council colleagues, D’Amico was the featured guest at a meeting of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) West Hollywood Chapter.

Addressed to West Hollywood Rental Property Owners the invite states, “We look forward to welcoming our guest speaker WEHO City Councilmember John D’Amico.”

Landlord Meeting Invite

The meeting held at West Hollywood’s Plummer Park on April 5, urges landlords to attend to help “AAGLA build and reinforce a much stronger group of owners.”

Some might say that there is nothing wrong with landlords meeting with elected officials to express their concerns. While I agreed there is nothing wrong with that and clearly the meeting was planned in advance, it is extremely suspect given that the meeting did come three days after D’Amico acted as if he was AAGLA’s front person for a plan to pay landlords to rehab their building with public affordable housing funds.

Of course, remember that AAGLA and landlords contributed hefty amounts of money to get their guy, D’Amico, elected.

Since we reported on the Council meeting where D’Amico’s landlord-supported plan went down to defeat, he has rallied his supporters to criticize how the Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) has portrayed the plan and the Council meeting events.

D’Amico supporters take exception to a previous story on this site that states that the people testifying in support of the landlord subsidy plan were mainly landlord and realtor organization representatives, individual landlords, homeowners, condo owners and the head of a Republican club.

It is true that they were mainly landlord and realtor organization representatives, individual landlords, homeowners, condo owners and the head of a Republican club. We firmly stand by that statement. And, yes there were a couple of  tenants who are regular Council gadfly opponents that did also speak in favor of the plan.

The fact is West Hollywood tenants need to be concerned. One reason to have concern is clearly demonstrated by a position put forth by one of D’Amico’s landlord supporters who testified that the City had the right to “means test” tenants to be eligible for rent control protections. That would mean the City could set an income criteria and a tenant would have prove their income qualified them to be protected by rent control. This extremist position would leave West Hollywood’s working class and middle-income tenants unprotected from rent gouging and unjust evictions. No other rent controlled city in the nation has means testing a proposal, long advocated by landlord groups opposed to rent control.

For way too many years West Hollywood tenants may have believed the rent control law CES fought for and won was in safe hands. But, it now appears that landlords have a point person on the West Hollywood Council who may come up with even more proposals he and his supporters will try to sell as benefiting the housing stock when in reality may be new initiatives to weaken rent control and strip away the hard fought tenants’ rights the city was founded on.

It is time for tenants to become active again and join CES.

West Hollywood City Council Meeting - Photo by Richard Settle

West Hollywood Council Member John D’Amico’s shocking proposal to raid the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which provides a resource to create desperately needed affordable housing, in order to subsidize landlords by financially helping them make repairs to their building was firmly rejected by his colleagues at West Hollywood’s April 2 City Council Meeting.

After public testimony and a Council debate on the proposal, it was a little after midnight when D’Amico conceded stating, “I hear that using funds from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is pretty much not going to happen.”

The proposal D’Amico was advancing asked that the City Attorney be directed to draft an amendment to the city’s Municipal Code to no longer mandate developers to provide on-site inclusionary affordable housing units in their new developments. All they would be required to do is pay an in-lieu fee instead. It also

WeHo City Council Member John D'Amico's plan to subsidize landlords with affordable housing funds gets shot down.

asked for an amendment to the Municipal Code to allow the city’s affordable housing funds to be used to assist landlords in upgrading their property and doing ‘green’ renovations.

D’Amico had his share of supporters for the landlord subsidy program present who testified. They were mainly landlord and realtor organization representatives, individual landlords, homeowners, condo owners and the head of a Republican club. Not a surprise given that D’Amico got significant financial support for his election from the landlord group West Hollywood Concerned Citizens and the Greater Los Angeles Apartment Association.

Their testimony was symbolized by the outrageous statement from West Hollywood Planning Commission Chair Alan Bernstein who said, “I’m tired of landlord bashing. It’s cheap and pseudo populist.” He then stated, “Our rent stabilized housing is our affordable housing and we could legally means test,” a position that has been consistently put forth by strident rent control opponents. Bernstein also heads an apartment management company.

CES West Hollywood member Joe Praml denounced the proposal to give landlords affordable housing funds to fix up their building

On the other hand there was strong community opposition to the plan. CES West Hollywood activist Joe Praml, who has been a key person to the development of CES’ Tenants’ Rights Clinic, testified, “I’m voicing my opposition Council Member D’Amico’s proposal to take funds from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and use it to fix up buildings that some landlords have allowed to become run down.”

Praml added, “At our Clinic I’ve seen the dark underside of the tenant-landlord relationship.  It’s my experience that landlords who allow their properties to run down likely are to be landlords pathologically opposed to our Rent Stabilization Ordinance, and who harass their tenants, refuse to make repairs, and try evicting one way or another their long term tenants under rent control so they can jack up rents with the vacancy. What’s to stop these landlords from intensifying their efforts after their building gets spiffed up.”

Former West Hollywood City Council Member Lindsey Horvath said, “To take money away from low income affordable housing to give it to property owners, it’s not the right use of public funds.”

West Hollywood Rent Stabilization Commissioner and former CES staff member Agassi Topchian warned, “This amendment is very dangerous to the city. We need this Affordable Housing Trust Fund to create affordable housing units.”

West Hollywood Transportation Commission Chair Steve Wayland stated, “By giving landlords Affordable Housing Trust Fund dollars to upgrade their existing housing stock means that when vacated the rents will be higher thanks to us providing them with funds to upgrade their units.

Then it was City Council Members turn to chime in.

City Council Member Abbe Land in her opposition to subsidizing landlords and changing the in-lieu fee law said, “There are some things in here that are very troubling to me.”

City Council Member John Heilman stated, “I am adamantly opposed to using the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for this landlord improvement program."

City Council Member John Heilman strongly stated, “I am adamantly opposed to using the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for this landlord improvement program. I don’t think that’s the right use of those funds.”

Mayor John Duran added that, “He was going to support the item to get the discussion going, but a hiccup would be the use of Affordable Housing Trust Funds to landlords if there was no benefit to the city. That could be problematic.”

Finally, City Council Member Jeff Prang echoed, “I have some trepidation about using Affordable Housing Trust Funds to assist with upgrades.”

It was at this point that D’Amico conceded in defeat of his landlord subsidy program, but did attempt one last ditch effort to get support for directing the City Attorney to draft an amendment to the  Municipal Code to amend the on-site affordable housing requirements and allow for in-lieu fee collection to be paid into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for mixed-use developments to satisfy his anti-density homeowner/condo owner supporters.

Sierra Bonita Apts, 42 units of low income mixed-use housing with environmentally sound green features, built by West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation that uses Affordable Housing Trust Funds.

Council Member Prang responded by proposing to rather direct staff to take all the suggestions that were discussed, such as finding alternative ways to upgrade and green existing housing, increasing in-lieu fees to developers (which CES acutally does support) and seeking additional affordable housing funding sources, and reporting back.

It was this direction that ended up receiving an unanimous Council vote.

CLICK TO READ PREVIOUS ARTICLE ON THIS ISSUE

West Hollywood City Councilmember John D'Amico proposes to raid city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund to subsidize landlords.

West Hollywood’s newest Council Member John D’Amico has introduced a proposal that is shocking for a city built on rent control and that has had a firm commitment to affordable housing. D’Amico is proposing that the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which provides a resource to create desperately needed affordable housing, be raided to subsidize landlords to financially help them make repairs to their building. Now mind you, West Hollywood landlords are far from property owners in great financial need.

When D’Amico was running for office in 2011, which resulted in a surprising upset victory for him, he stated, “I have a different vision for West Hollywood.” Little did voters know at the time that his vision was to undermine the core principles in which this city was founded on and undo policies that have been overwhelmingly supported by the city, as well as by residents, of who more then 80% are tenants.

Maybe this should not be such a surprise given the fact that D’Amico got significant financial support for his election from the landlord group West Hollywood Concerned Citizens and the Greater Los Angeles Apartment Association.

The proposal D’Amico is advancing would direct the City Attorney to draft an amendment to the city’s Municipal Code to no longer mandate developers to provide onsite inclusionary affordable housing units in their new developments. All they would be required to do is pay an in-lieu fee instead. It also asks for an amendment to the Municipal Code to allow the city’s affordable housing funds to be used to assist landlords in upgrading their property and doing ‘green’ renovation.

CES Rally Launches West Hollywood Cityhood Campaign in 1984 held in Plummer Park

The Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) led the effort to incorporate the City of West Hollywood in 1984, mainly based on the goal of maintaining and strengthening rent control and preserving affordable housing.

Two years later, in 1986, CES was successful in advocating for the establishment of the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC) to buy, build, rehabilitate, manage and advocate for affordable housing for lower-income people in West Hollywood. WHCHC, which is the main recipient of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund has since developed 13 apartment complexes in West Hollywood to serve seniors living on fixed-incomes, people living with disabilities including HIV/AIDS, and low-income working households.

This proposal could open the door to undermining these types of accomplishments in the present and future.

D’Amico’s proposal presents grave public policy consequences for West Hollywood, a city that has always stood for equality and justice. By letting developers off the hook and not requiring them to provide onsite inclusionsary affordable units it denies ensuring some level of income integration and the ability for low-income tenants to enjoy some of the same amenities afforded higher income people.

The D’Amico proposal will greatly speed up the gentrification already taking place in West Hollywood and smacks of the worst in NIMBYism (Not in My Back Yard). This is demonstrated by D’Amico’s statement that according to him West Hollywood residents are “tired of seeing us oversize their neighborhoods to build affordable units they’ll never get into.”

In addition, the proposal to subsidize landlords with Affordable Housing Trust Funds to fix up their buildings is appears to be illegal in that it would likely be seen as a gift of public funds.

Residents must make their voices heard and let the West Hollywood City Council know that they must stand up to this attack on affordable housing and must resoundingly reject the D’Amico proposal. The proposal will get its first discussion at the Monday night, April 2, West Hollywood City Council meeting.

KTLK AM 1150 -The David Cruz Show

Weekdays, 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM.

Officials of the City of Lancaster in the high desert area of Los Angeles County has been waging a war against low-income Section 8 rent subsidy tenants for some time. Lancaster officials have attempted to reduce the number of its Section 8 tenants by accusing them of being responsible for crime in the area, hiring housing authority inspectors to intimidate and harass them and attempting to pass laws to deny business licenses to landlords who accept Section 8 vouchers. These actions have created an atmosphere of fear for low income tenants and has even result in physical attacks to Section 8 renters.

Civil rights groups have filed discrimination suits against Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Bound of Supervisors have eliminated funds of the additional housing inspectors and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has threatened to cut hundreds of thousand of dollars in federal funds to the city.

Now Lancaster has out done its previous actions. The city has filed a complaint alleging Los Angeles County and its housing authority unlawfully favor African Americans when granting vouchers for Section 8 housing.

Coalition for Economic Survival Executive Director Larry Gross debated Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris on Lancaster’s latest attempt to rid the city of Section 8 tenants on Friday, March 16, 2012 on the David Cruz radio program heard on KTLK 1150 am between 3 and 6 p.m.

Gross states that the city’s action, “brings racism to new heights, or rather new lows.” Gross charges that, “Lancaster officials seem to be wishing that their city was located in 1963 Mississippi, instead of 2012 LA County.”

LISTEN TO THIS RADIO PROGRAM BY CLICKING HERE.

Recent newspaper articles, some including CES’ responses, reporting on the various attacks on Lancaster African America Section 8 tenants. Click on article to read.

March 15, 2012 - Lancaster complaint accuses Los Angeles County of bias in housing

Thursday, January 26, 2012 - L.A. County to Stop Funding Extra High Desert Housing Investigators

Friday April 10, 2009 – Lancaster Proposes Limiting Section 8

Mar 15 2012

Los Angeles Tenants Face High Rents, Little Legal Help

> Listen to  this radio program segment

Being a renter in Los Angeles can be difficult, but a group of local tenants are suing their landlord because they say the company is making it impossible to do the most basic thing a tenant does — pay rent. In September 2011 the Jones and Jones Property management company notified tenants at its 300-unit south LA Woodlake Manor Apartments that it would only accept online rent payments.* The Coalition for Economic Survival and Bet Tzedek Legal Services announced last week that a lawsuit against Jones and Jones was filed on behalf of the tenants, who want to retain the right to pay rent by more traditional means. Many of the plaintiffs are elderly, and some are self-identified as “computer-illiterate.”

 
Larry Gross, executive director of CES, said the online-only rent policy, “is nothing more than a scheme to target the long-term, low rent tenants for eviction to obtain higher rents.” His suspicion is well founded. Landlords file approximately 70,000 evictions in LA County alone every year, and tenant advocates say not all of the evictions are for fair, or even legal, reasons. The Woodlake Manor Apartments’ tenants have lived in the building for years and enjoy affordable rent, something they would be unlikely to find elsewhere. California rental rates are the second highest in the nation. According to a report just released by the National Low Income Coalition, California’s fair market rent for a two bedroom apartment is $1,350 a month, with San Francisco holding the distinction of highest rent nationwide at $1,900 a month. The NLIC found that affordable rent is that which takes up no more than 30% of a household’s income. For a California household to meet this affordability threshold, it must earn a estimated monthly income of $4,500 a month, but on average most tenants fall short by hundreds of dollars.

 
GUEST: Larry Gross, Executive Director of the Coalition for Economic Survival
For more information, visit www.cesinaction.org.

 
*ADDENDUM: Jones and Jones notified the thousands of tenants living in 34 of its buildings, of which Woodlake Manor Apartments was one, that rents would only be accepted online.