Campaign for Affordable Housing Needs Your Support!

January 20, 2009

Many of us at the Hollywood Adventist Church have been deeply involved with LA Voice/PICO in a campaign to raise awareness about LA’s need for affordable, mixed-income housing. This campaign is reaching a very critical point and needs your support! Here is an email from LA Voice Community Organizer, Joe Hari:

HSDA FRIENDS,

We’ve learned of some very troubling news regarding the campaign for mixed income housing. Last week, a technical advisory committee met to discuss the financial feasibility of mixed income housing. The committee was formed to advise the Mayor. Our developer allies, who support a housing policy that will provide for all income levels, WERE DROWNED OUT by the other developers, who support a weak and watered down law.

Possible Action:
LA Voice and our Housing LA allies are strategizing on how we might counter the setback. One idea is to attend and organize for the next technical advisory committee on Thursday, January 29, 8:00 am – 10:00 am. Perhaps you could check your calendars and see if this day and time would work for you. Our concern is that we are overextending ourselves by organizing for both the evening meetings and the morning meeting. What are your thoughts?

Scheduled Action:
At the very least, we need to have a great turnout for the Mayor’s evening community meetings on January 27, 28, and 29!!!

I’ll give you an update as soon as I have more information.

Keep our campaign in your prayers.

Joe

If you would like to become more involved, you can attend one of these three upcoming important meetings held by the Mayor’s Office. There will be breakout discussion groups, and the Mayor’s Office will be taking notes on our community priorities.

East LA
Tuesday, January 27, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Young Nak Presbyterian Church
1721 N. Broadway
LA, 90031

San Fernando Valley
Wednesday, January 28, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Van Nuys City Hall
14410 Sylvan St., Room 211
Van Nuys, 91401

Central Los Angeles
Thursday, January 29, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
3300 Wilshire Blvd.
LA, 90010
(2 blocks west of the Wishire/Vermont Red Line station.)

Some talking points for discussion:

1. We need a mixed income housing law that will ensure production for a range of incomes, including the lowest incomes.
2. We need a mixed income housing law that will preserve apartments that have modest rents because they are protected under rent control.
3. We need a mixed income housing law that will have a significant impact in all areas of the city.