UN4LA News - May 2021
A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles.
UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. Growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars.
UN4LA ROLL’S OUT NEW WEB SITE
UN4LA has expanded and improved its web site. In addition to offering more information on our Resources page, we've also added an Archives page with links to essays and articles on a range of subjects, including housing, transportation and urban forest/green space. The LA area is facing a number of crises on different fronts. We need to make sure our elected officials are making decisions based on real data and hard facts, not aggressive lobbying and wishful thinking. Please take a moment to check out UN4LA's upgraded web page.
COURT BATTLE OVER HOMELESS CRISIS CONTINUES
It's likely that many Angelenos breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that Judge David O. Carter had ordered LA City and LA County to offer housing and mental health services to all residents of Skid Row by this fall. It seemed that somebody was finally taking action on LA's homeless crisis. But in the days after it was issued, numerous experts and advocates for the homeless voiced major concerns about Carter's order. Some have challenged the legality of the order, others have argued that it simply disperses the Skid Row population throughout LA, and others have raised valid questions about whether the order's goals can realistically be accomplished. And, of course, both LA City and LA County have appealed.
Both the unhoused and the housed people of LA have been waiting for years to see a solution to this problem. At this point it's hard to say if we'll ever get meaningful action. But one thing the court documents have revealed: This crisis has been brewing for decades, and it's the result of a series of bad policy decisions. The motion filed by the LA Alliance for Human Rights asking for an injunction tells a story of containment on Skid Row dating back to the 70s. It accuses the City of deliberately pursuing racist policies that have served to perpetuate homelessness. The opposition filed in response by the Legal Aid Foundation questions this version of events, but reveals other problems with the response (or lack thereof) to the homeless crisis. Both documents are available below.
LA Alliance Motion for Injunction
Legal Aid Foundation Opposition to Motion
DIGITAL BILLBOARDS AND DATA COLLECTION
In LA there's been a lot of talk about digital billboards, and many have voiced concerns about distracted drivers and visual blight. But there's another side to digital out-of-home advertising that's even more disturbing. In many cities these billboards now contain cameras and wireless devices that collect data from people passing by. Both the City of LA and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) are now considering proposals to build vast outdoor networks that would enable advertisers (and probably others) to keep an eye on us 24/7. Is this really a good idea? Click on the link to learn more
Digital Billboards and Data Collection
COURT SETBACK FOR TEJON RANCH PROJECT
The developers behind a proposal to build thousands of new homes in northern LA County suffered a setback this month. Judge Mitchell Beckloff agreed with plaintiff Climate Resolve that the EIR for the project was deficient in its study of greenhouse gas emissions and that fire risks weren’t properly assessed. This doesn’t necessarily stop the project, but it can’t go forward until these issues have been addressed.
Climate Victory at Tejon Ranch
Judge Halts Construction of Massive Tejon Ranch Development
PRO-DEVELOPMENT PROPAGANDA?
Real estate investors have been telling us for years that California needs to build lots of new housing, and that we need to get rid of zoning restrictions that stand in the way. Increasingly lawmakers and the media seem to be embracing this argument, and now even public radio has climbed on board. Will upzoning the suburbs really solve our housing problems? Or are there special interests who want us to believe it will solve our housing problems?
Facebook’s Housing Echo Chamber
L.A. CONSERVANCY CELEBRATES THE WORK OF PAUL R. WILLIAMS
The work of African American architect Paul R. Williams can be seen all over LA County, the result of a career than spanned decades. In addition to bringing his skill to the design of structures like the Hollywood YMCA, First AME Church and the LAX Theme Building, Williams designed homes for stars like Julie London, Tyrone Power and Barbara Stanwyck. The LA Conservancy is celebrating the architect’s legacy with on-line discussions and a virtual tour. Follow the link for more info.
