DISTRICT 4 Newsletters
Do you rent your home? You’ve got new rights! | 2/01/23
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Dear Friends, This week marked the end of the City’s eviction moratorium – a set of protections put in place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to keep renters safe and in their homes. These protections had a huge impact in LA, stemming the flow of people into homelessness for the first time in years. It is important to note that LA County has extended its moratorium until March 31, 2023. This moratorium does apply to the City of Los Angeles, and renters with income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) are still protected. If you meet that threshold and cannot pay rent due to COVID-19 financial impact, you will continue to have protections against eviction through March 31, 2023. Renters must notify their landlord within 7 days of the rent due date, unless extenuating circumstances exist, and can do so by filling out this form. What lessons have we learned from the COVID emergency and the protections that arose from it? For one, we learned that housing instability, eviction, and homelessness can be the result of commonplace events like falling behind on rent, receiving a high rent increase, or experiencing landlord harassment. That’s why, for the past year, I have been fighting for a set of common-sense, permanent tenant protections for tenants in the City of Los Angeles. This week, many of those protections go into effect — but the landscape of protections can still be confusing to navigate. Here’s what tenants need to know right now and what’s coming up in the near future:
Moving forward, our purpose with these protections is to keep renters safe, healthy, and housing secure in Los Angeles at all times – not just during a global pandemic – helping us to build a Los Angeles where everyone can thrive. With love,
P.S. If you have questions about these protections and how they impact you, please reach out to our office at contactcd4@lacity.gov or call us at 213.473.7004.
I. Office Updates — A Successful Homeless Count, JEDI Zone Orientation, Garden Grove Food Pantry, Composting Town Hall
HOSTING A SUCCESSFUL HOMELESS COUNT
CD4 staff and volunteers helped lead a successful Homeless Count. Last week, thousands of volunteers across Los Angeles participated in the Greater LA Homeless Count to help identify how many people are experiencing unsheltered homelessness – data that helps inform where services and resources are most needed. No amount of urgency is enough to end homelessness without money from the federal government. An accurate count of who is living on our City and County streets allow us to ask for every dollar that we can to make sure we are solving this crisis. Thank you to our partners at LAHSA for helping our office run the Studio City Count and at SELAH for hosting us in Los Feliz. Our volunteers were well equipped and ready to count with in-depth trainings, maps, flashlights, and even home-made soup at the Los Feliz count! MEETING LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AT OUR JEDI ZONE ORIENTATION
With our partners at EWDD to officially launch our Reseda JEDI Zone! In June of last year, Council voted to officially establish a Jobs Economic Development Incentive (JEDI) Zone along a commercial corridor in the Reseda neighborhood and last week we hosted our first orientation! I was able to connect with local business leaders and entrepreneurs and discuss how we can be of service. The Reseda JEDI Zone includes existing and new businesses located on Reseda Blvd. bounded by Gault St. to Vanowen St., which will receive support through technical assistance, case management, permit fee reductions, and grants for façade improvements. There are currently only 8 total JEDI Zones in the City of Los Angeles, so this is a big deal! By establishing a JEDI Zone here, we’ll be able to step up our support for the small businesses that define this community, many of which are immigrant-owned and support neighboring low-income communities. KICKING OFF 2023’S FIRST FOOD PANTRY AT GARDEN GROVE ELEMENTARY
Our first Garden Grove Food Pantry of the year! I was so thrilled to be back out in Reseda on Saturday for our monthly food pantry at Garden Grove Elementary! We were able to serve residents from across the valley with non-perishables, fresh produce, protein, such as beef, salmon and poultry, and diapers with the help of parent volunteers and our partners at Power LA, ONEgeneration, Pathways LA and Hello Bello. I also had the pleasure of meeting Rosario, Parent Center Coordinator at Garden Grove Elementary, who is essential to making this event run smoothly and to speak with her about how we can collaborate further to meet the needs of residents in the area. Interested in volunteering at our next food pantry? Be sure to sign up for our volunteer corps HERE! GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY AT OUR COMPOSTING TOWN HALL
A quick screenshot before jumping into our composting Town Hall. Our office hosted a virtual Town Hall on Monday to talk about all things compost! As you may have heard, all single-family homes and apartments with four or fewer units served by LA Sanitation are now required to participate in organics recycling, in compliance with CA Senate Bill 1383. We were joined by Michael Martinez from LA Compost, Nancy Beyda from FoodCycle, and James Roska and Dan Meyers from LA San, who shared tips and tricks for odor-free composting and answered questions from attendees. Our next webinar will be on Monday, February, 27 at 6PM – be sure to register at bit.ly/cd4beyondthepail.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION CELEBRATION OF LIFE | FEBRUARY 4 | MORE INFO
Los Angeles—and the world—lost the beloved mountain lion P-22 on December 17. To celebrate his remarkable life, the National Wildlife Federation is hosting a celebration at the Greek Theatre on Saturday, February 4th from 12 – 2:00PM. Joining us will be special guests speaking about their connections to P-22—and how he also connected us all. Musical performances, dancing, and so much more. For more information, visit lagreektheatre.com/events. And, to join a viewing party, head to one of 11 libraries throughout Los Angeles to watch the official event livestream! To find a library watch party near you, visit lapl.org/p-22. RIDE METRO FOR FREE ON TRANSIT EQUITY DAY | FEBRUARY 4 | MORE INFO
Metro is offering FREE bus, train and Bike Share rides this Saturday, February 4, in honor of Transit Equity Day — which commemorates Rosa Parks’ birthday. Transit Equity Day highlights the right of all people to affordable public transportation and speaks directly to our core mission: to provide mobility to connect all people to opportunity. Please know that other agencies — including Metrolink, the regional rail provider — are also offering free fares on Saturday, Feb. 4! If you currently ride Metro, enjoy the free rides! Turnstiles will be unlocked at all rail stations and there’s no need to TAP at fare validators or fare boxes. If you’re a new rider to Metro, welcome aboard! We suggest using the Transit app to help plan your transit trip. LET’S PAINT SHERMAN OAKS UTILITY BOX FUNDRAISER | FEBRUARY 4 @ 6 PM | MORE INFO
The Sherman Oaks Chamber Foundation is celebrating their 2022 Sherman Oaks utility box artists with a special event on February 4th at Art Rebel Studio in Sherman Oaks. You will be able to meet the artists and have a chance to purchase their artworks specially created for the event! The Foundation will also be holding an opportunity drawing for the chance to “sponsor” a utility box including selecting the artist and art (a $750 value). All proceeds from the ticket drawing and artwork sales go directly to the “Let’s Paint Sherman Oaks” program. Purchase your tickets HERE before they sell out! SUPPORT LOCAL PARKS WITH A HALF MARATHON & 5K RUN AT GRIFFITH PARK | FEBRUARY 5 @ 10 AM | MORE INFO
The annual Griffith Park Half Marathon & 5K is back and proceeds support the Los Angeles Parks Foundation! Sign up to run (or walk) a 5K or half-marathon in beautiful Griffith Park this Sunday Morning at 10AM. WHERE: 4730 Crystal Springs Rd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027 WHEN: 10AM Sign up to register HERE! WALK, RIDE, & ROLL WITH METRO AT THE SEPULVEDA STATION | FEBRUARY 11 @ 10 AM | FLYER Practice walking, scooter riding and bicycling in “Safe Moves City” and learn about how to walk, ride and roll safely. Loaner bikes, scooters and bicycles are available, but children and adults can bring their own. At the event, LA Metro will be seeking input on the Metro Active Transport (MAT) G Line Sepulveda Station First/Last Mile Project, which will make it safer and easier for you to bike, walk, ride or roll to the Metro G Line Sepulveda Station. Join the fun and enter for a chance to win a bicycle, scooters and helmets. Prizes and fun for all. WHERE: Orange Line Sepulveda Station 15430 W. Erwin St, Van Nuys 91411 WHEN: Saturday, February 11, 2023, 10AM – 2PM SAVE THE DATE FOR CD4’S BLACK BUSINESS MIXER| FEBRUARY 23 | MORE INFO
In honor of Black History Month, we invite you to join our office and Black in the Valley for a Black Business Mixer at Mardi Gras Tuesday in Sherman Oaks! Black business owners are invited to join a discussion on Economic Development in the Black community, in the Valley, and across Los Angeles. Small plates and tasty appetizers will be served to guests! Sonya Blake, CEO of The Valley Economic Alliance and former Director of Community Business in the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti will be delivering the keynote address. She is thrilled to bring her passion for businesses in this intimate conversation amongst economic leaders! We will also be joined by members of the Economic Workforce Development Department, and Mayor Bass’s Economic Policy team. Hope to see you there! WHERE: Mardi Gras Tuesday, 14543 Ventura Blvd WHEN: Thursday, February 23, 2023, 4:00PM – 6:00PM For more info and to RSVP, click HERE! FREE ORGANICS RECYCLING PAIL PICKUP | FEBRUARY | MORE INFO
Have we mentioned how excited we are about composting? To make the transition to organics recycling easier, LA Sanitation and LA City Council District 4 are providing FREE dishwasher-safe countertop pails! This month, we’re focusing on Los Feliz and Sherman Oaks, so stop by one of our outposts at any of the following locations and dates to pick one up! Canyon Country Store (2018 Laurel Canyon Blvd)
Doheny-Sunset Plaza (outside 1474 N Kings Rd.)
John Marshall High School (St. George St entrance between Evans St and Griffith Park Blvd)
Los Feliz Post Office (1825 N Vermont Ave)
Silver Lake (specific location TBA)
Tarzana Native Plants Fair (19130 Ventura Blvd, free admission)
Los Feliz Library Used Book Sale (1874 Hillhurst Ave, free admission)
Sherman Oaks (specific location TBA)
To reserve a pail in advance, click HERE! We also have two upcoming pail distribution volunteer events in Los Feliz, with more across CD4 in the coming months, and we need your help! If you’d like to volunteer with us to help hand out pails, be sure to sign up HERE! LEARN MORE ABOUT RUNNING FOR A SEAT ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL! | NOW – MARCH 18 | MORE INFO
Neighborhood Councils are the grassroots level of the City of LA’s government, and elections are taking place on twelve regional timelines now through June 2023! Newly elected members take office on July 1. Learn more about representing your community at an upcoming Candidate Info Session with Empower LA and LA City Clerk! RSVP at tiny.cc/CandidateSessions. You’ll learn outreach strategies for a successful campaign, how to connect with voters, how to advocate for issues you care about, tips for talking points, and how to file your application Look up your Neighborhood Council: tiny.cc/FindMyNC Check your NC’s election dates: tiny.cc/NCElectionDates
SEPULVEDA BASIN VISION PLAN COMMUNITY MEETING | FEBRUARY 8 @ 6 PM | MORE INFO
Join us for our first Community Meeting on Wednesday February 8! The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering (Engineering), in partnership with Council Districts 2, 3, 4 and 6, the Office of the Mayor and multiple federal, state and local partners, invites you to the first Community Meeting for the Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan on February 8. This will be the first of a series of community meetings, workshops, and events to gather ideas and feedback from the communities surrounding the Sepulveda Basin, the greater Valley community, and region. Date: February 8 Time: 6PM – 8PM Location: Encino Community Center, 4935 Balboa Blvd., Encino, CA 91316 Format: Presentation followed by an open house RSVP HERE! LAHD RENTER PROTECTIONS UPDATE WEBINAR | FEBRUARY 8 & 15 | MORE INFO
Join the Los Angeles Housing Department at one of their weekly webinars as they provide an overview of the City’s new renter protections recently approved by the Los Angeles City Council. This includes the expansion of “Just Cause” eviction protections to all rental units in the City of Los Angeles, including units not subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). The one-hour webinars include a Q&A session. Learn more about renter protections by visiting LAHD’s webpage where you can see a recorded webinar and read a summary of the rules on eviction and rent increases. The one-hour sessions include a Q & A period. Presented by the LAHD’s Rent Stabilization Division staff. Register to attend an upcoming webinar HERE. PERMANENT AL FRESCO DRAFT ORDINANCE PUBLIC HEARING | FEBRUARY 8 | MORE INFO
In May 2020, the City introduced LA Al Fresco to allow for expanded outdoor dining activities for qualifying food establishments —and now, the draft Permanent Al Fresco Ordinance for outdoor dining on private property is open for public comment. In addition, a fact sheet providing a summary, background and frequently asked questions is also available for the public’s review. City Planning will conduct a Virtual Public Hearing for the proposed Permanent Al Fresco Ordinance on February 8, 2023, from 6 PM to 8 PM. It will provide an overview of the draft proposal and will include a Q&A session. To register, click HERE. For more information on the Al Fresco program and next steps, click HERE. To sign up for updates, obtain information on the current status of the draft Ordinance, or provide feedback, please email AlFresco.Planning@lacity.org. FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS PUBLIC MEETING | FEBRUARY 13 & 15 | MORE INFO
Every year, the City of Los Angeles receives over $100 million from four federal grants to benefit lower-income residents by improving communities with affordable housing, parks, street lighting, services for the homeless, and many other activities. To receive these grants, the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) prepares the Con Plan: a Consolidated Plan to outline the City’s goals over a five-year span and the Annual Action Plan that details how the City intends to use the grants for the coming year to meet its goals. Community input is an integral part of forming these plans. Please complete this survey to help inform decisions regarding the City’s investments in its communities. More information on the Five-Year Consolidated Plan can be found here. CIFD is also hosting two virtual public meetings about the four federal grants Los Angeles receives every year to benefit lower-income residents. Below are dates and links to the public meetings:
To stay up to date on the latest closures, follow @LADOTofficial on Twitter, and check out their updates page. STUDIO CITY & HOLLYWOOD HILLS Mulholland Drive Storm Repair Closure Date/Time: Until further notice LOS FELIZ Street Resurfacing on Griffith Park Blvd + Los Feliz Blvd Date/Time: 2/14 – 2/16 Contact: Superintendent Staff, (213) 485-1860
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Nithya Raman CD4 · 200 N Spring St, CA 91423, United States |
