Posted on 12/17/2023
ONE BIG THING: ONE YEAR IN OFFICE, BY THE NUMBERS
Last week, we broke down some of our biggest accomplishments from our first year in office when it comes to the biggest issues facing our city, housing and homelessness.
This week, we want to take a look at some of our collective accomplishments from 2023 on all the other issues, by the numbers:
- 10,000 daily riders who will benefit from the new bus lane on La Brea.
- $24 million in funding for programs exclusively focused on unarmed responses to nonviolent 911 calls relating to homelessness, mental health, and drug addiction. That’s triple the funding for these programs compared to last year.
11 schools in CD13 will be receiving new 15mph speed limit zones over the course of the next year, with more 15mph zones coming soon to the rest of the schools in the district!
- $16 million total funding for legal defense to prevent deportation and keep families together.
1 ongoing investigation into Texas Governor Greg Abbott about whether he committed any crimes, including kidnapping or human trafficking, when he sent buses of asylum seekers and babies on a 20-hour bus ride to LA with no food or water.
- $30 million for FamilySource Centers across the city to assist over 50,000 families with issues like housing insecurity, immigration services, tutoring, financial assistance, and more.
- There will be 0 coordination or interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after we make Los Angeles a true sanctuary city.
16 bus shelters in the district are being built before February across the district on the way to getting 75% coverage of bus stops in CD13.
- 2024 – The year that LA voters will finally be able to decide if we should require independent redistricting for city elections.
- $48 million Clean Energy Grant announced by Mayor Bass to cap off our historic delegation to Washington DC
- $1.4 billion in stolen wages lost by Angelenos every year from wage theft. We will soon be able to enforce these violations as a city for the first time ever.
Two More Quick Hits!
1. Motion to End Ban of Street Vending on Hollywood Blvd Passes City Council!
For years, a No-Street-Vending Zone on Hollywood Boulevard has targeted immigrant entrepreneurs who are just trying to provide for their families.
Once our ordinance passes, street vendors, local businesses, community organizations, and the city will come together over the next 18-24 months to create a first-of-its-kind “special vending zone” which will act as a pilot project for improving our city’s street vending policies.
Now that the motion has passed through City Council, The City Attorney will write the “ordinance” (essentially the actual law) for council to approve.
2. Ensuring the Right to a Lawyer for Renters Facing Eviction
Did you know that the right to a lawyer in the US doesn’t extend to eviction court? In LA, 95% of landlords are represented by a lawyer in court vs. just 3% of tenants.
When NYC passed the right to counsel for tenants facing eviction, 84% of renters represented by city lawyers won their cases and were able to remain in their homes. In San Francisco two-thirds of tenants won their cases after they passed their right to counsel law, plus eviction filings dropped by 10% overall.
Once approved, this law will be a huge step forward when it comes to fighting illegal evictions and keeping families out of homelessness.