Attn: Mark Gonzalez, Maria Elena Durazo, Jimmy Gomez, Karen Bass, Eunisses Hernandez, and Hilda Solis,
Last year, tenants in all forms of affordable housing throughout Los Angeles received rent increases at the maximum allowable rate from our landlords. For years, rent increases have outpaced the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) intended to protect seniors on fixed incomes. Workers do not get raises that are anywhere near the 8% rent increase, which is an 8% income increase landlords – from small time “mom and pop” millionaires on their compounds in Malibu, to multibillion dollar enterprises like Triumph Residential Services and Meta Housing – are allowed to give themselves. Affordable housing is no longer affordable.
In Chinatown, the rent increases at Metro Senior Lofts and Hillside Villa averaged around $100 for the lowest income tenants. In contrast, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) COLA was less than 3% – a monthly increase of around $50. The cost of groceries, basic necessities, and medical expenses have continued to rise beyond the COLA, and many programs low income people depend on, such as SNAP benefits, are being cut. Chinatown residents are the second poorest population in Los Angeles, after Skid Row. Most of us are already paying between 70-90% of our income for rent. A rent increase of $100 a month means making impossible choices between paying the rent and paying for food and medicine, or facing eviction and homelessness.
What is your office actually doing about this ongoing crisis?
What is your definition of “Affordable Housing”?
Why are affordable housing providers allowed to raise rent faster than people's income?
Where is the accountability for these housing providers who have received generous tax breaks and loans to build affordable housing?
Should landlords be allowed to legally demand that rent exceeds 100% of a tenant’s income?
CHINATOWN TENANTS UNITE AND FIGHT BECAUSE:
1) Seniors and immigrant families are one rent increase away from being unhoused despite living in “affordable housing.”
2) The current state of emergency with ICE and CBP occupying Los Angeles and terrorizing our low-income immigrant communities exposes vulnerabilities that have existed beforehand, caused by insufficient policies like the Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
We are writing this letter to demand that you stand with All Chinatown Tenant Union (ACTU) and keep all affordable housing tenants housed in Chinatown and Los Angeles.
OUR DEMANDS ARE THE FOLLOWING:
1) That your office finds a long term solution to protect all tenants, including: a reform of the regulations to cap rent increases for affordable units, and include provisions that limit what landlords can charge for utilities and other fees.
2) A rent freeze for all affordable housing until a long term solution is found.
3) Immediate rental assistance to cover the upcoming rent increases and keep low income tenants housed in all affordable units.