A delegation of One LA leaders from Precious Blood Church, St. Michael Church and Immanuel Presbyterian Church, with support from the Progressive Jewish Alliance, addressed housing concerns with Los Angeles City Council members and in a press conference outside of City Hall March 3.
Missionary of Jesus Father Mike Montoya, Precious Blood associate pastor, said that through many parish and house meetings, leaders identified affordable housing as key issue for families. One LA leaders delivered about 500 postcards in support for inclusionary zoning --- a proposal that would require new housing construction to include affordable housing for low and middle income families
Maria Guillen, a Precious Blood One LA leader, said that last year, she and her three children received a rent increase from $750 to $1,500 for her two-bedroom apartment near 3rd and LaFayette Streets. She fought it in court, lost, but continued to appeal.
When Guillen came home from appealing her case in court, she found her young son crying with his dog outside the building because the sheriff had come to lock her family out of the apartment. Her older son started working and missing school classes without his mother's knowledge in order to make rent money.
Guilllen wants her children to go to college and has insisted that they remain in school. "These rent increases are happening in my area and we find it very difficult to find affordable housing. That's why we are here and why we support inclusionary zoning," she said.
Javier Estrada, a St. Michael One LA leader, said that he lives in an apartment that has many leaks and had to put a tarp over the roof to protect their belongings from getting damaged from the rain.
"Many of us live in these conditions because the housing is so expensive and even in these apartments, we are seeing rent increases," he said. "We want to work with our City officials to enforce the law that limits rent increases and to create more affordable housing." |