November 19, 2020
NNPA Newswire
The pandemic-led recession is disproportionately hurting women in the workforce and is more likely to threaten their housing security. A new Zillow analysis finds women are more likely than men to be unemployed, renters and caregivers during the coronavirus pandemic, thereby increasing their risk of becoming severely cost-burdened by housing.
The pandemic has been a startling setback for women who had been narrowing the gender gap in recent years. At the beginning of the year, more women than ever before were in the workforce, incomes were rising along with the home values of women-headed households.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only interrupted this period of growth, but may have pushed women backward in housing and employment by impacting their participation in the workforce and their potential earnings well into the future.
The Female Face of Unemployment
“She-cession” was a term coined1 to describe the disparate impacts this pandemic’s recession is having on women after the 2008 financial crisis was dubbed the “mancession” for the ways in which men were more severely impacted by Wall Street’s collapse. However, the similarities end with the moniker. A new Zillow analysis finds that year-over-year unemployment claims are 10 times higher for women during this pandemic than what men experienced in the Great Recession.
Women are more likely to work in service-sector industries, which are the most affected by the pandemic, and are feeling the effects of unemployment much more severely. In May, unemployment claims for women were up 1,368 percent year over year. At the peak of the Great Recession in 2009, unemployment claims for men were up 137 percent year over year. At the peak of the COVID-19-driven recession in May, unemployment claims for men were up 983 percent year over year, a record high, but still significantly less than the spike women experienced. Black and Latinx women are faring even worse, with persistent double-digit unemployment rates as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• “She-cession” is a term reportedly coined by labor economist Armine Yalnizyan
Four times as many women as men left the workforce in September alone. That adds up to nearly 865,000 women or 80 percent of all workers who dropped out of the labor force last month.
Unemployment and underemployment have put a strain on the ability of women-led households to afford housing. A Zillow survey from the Harris Poll2 found that women were more likely to say they would not be able to make the current month’s housing payment - rent or mortgage - if their household lost a primary source of income.
“Direct rental assistance and extending unemployment assistance could help women cover housing payment obligations and keep women afloat and in their homes for the time being,” said Zillow Senior Economist Cheryl Young. “However, these are short-term fixes. Longer term solutions like creating more affordable housing stock, economic policies that assist working parents, and increased voucher availability, are vital to ensuring that housing burdens don’t fall disproportionately on women.”
Renters at Risk
Previous Zillow research illustrates how renters have been hit hardest in this recession, and female householders overall are more likely to be renters; 37 percent of female householders are renters, compared to 31 percent for men.
According to Zillow’s analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data, 45 percent of female renter households are cost-burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, compared to 36 percent of male renter households. Nearly a quarter (24%) of female renter households are severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than half their income on housing, compared to 17 percent of male renter households.
Women of color are even more likely to be cost-burdened by housing. More than half (51%) of Latinx female renter households and 49 percent of Black female renter households are cost-burdened. More than a quarter (27%) of both Hispanic and Black female renter households are severely cost-burdened. Any loss of income, even temporarily, puts cost-burdened renter households at risk of housing instability.
Child Care Crisis
Mothers of school-age children are reportedly taking longer to regain their employment, as many child care centers remain closed and schools turn to virtual or hybrid learning models. A Zillow analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse survey3 shows working mothers were three times more likely than working fathers to cite child care as the main reason they were out of work (22.1% of mothers, 7.7% of fathers).
Beyond the social and cultural pressures on women to be the primary caretakers in their households, there are significantly more female-headed households led by single parents. Female-headed renter households are more than twice as likely as male-headed renter households to be single parents -- 70 percent of mothers who are household heads are single parents, compared to only 32 percent of fathers.
• This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Zillow from May 4-6, 2020 among 2,065 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
• The U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse survey covers 12 weeks of the pandemic from April 23rd through July 21, 2020.
Reports suggest the double hit of being more likely to work in industries affected by layoffs, and being the main caretaker of children will affect women’s labor force participation and earnings trajectories for decades to come.
An Uncertain Outlook
Prior to the current coronavirus outbreak, women-led households were on an upward trajectory. Home values of female-headed households have been creeping closer to home values overall. The ratio of women’s home values to home values overall is 95.9 percent as of August 2020, up from 91.9 percent a decade ago, signifying there is progress being made. In labor, women were making up a larger share of the workforce and seeing incomes rise, possibly contributing to the increase in home values. This new analysis from Zillow finds that without interventions, these slow and steady improvements toward housing equality may be jeopardized by this unequal recession.
November 19, 2020
City News Service
Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated William Briggs, a trial lawyer and civil litigator, to the Los Angeles Police Commission.
Briggs’ nomination is subject to City Council confirmation, and if confirmed he will succeed Shane Goldsmith, who is stepping down after more than four years on the commission, Garcetti said.
“Our city is leading the movement to re-imagine public safety, revitalize our commitment to racial justice and support our courageous police officers who keep our city safe,” Garcetti said. “And I'm confident that William Briggs will bring an extraordinary record of leadership and commitment to the fight for fairness, equity and a safer Los Angeles.”
Briggs is a partner at Venable LLP who has “broad experience” in the entertainment industry, and he has worked in state and federal courtrooms across various practices of law, including disputes that involve trademarks, defamation and the First Amendment, Garcetti said.
“Nothing matters more to our common security than deepening bonds of trust between police officers and the Angelenos they serve, especially in communities of color, and I know William shares my commitment to working with Angelenos to bring meaningful change,” the mayor said.
Beyond his legal practice, Briggs is heavily involved in civic and community affairs. In 2014, Garcetti appointed him to be a commissioner on the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System, where he was responsible for overseeing pensions and disability benefits for city employees.
Briggs also served as a trustee on the Sierra Canyon School Board and has provided pro bono legal services to the Alliance for Children’s Rights.
“I’m honored to serve as a member of the Police Commission and grateful to Mayor Garcetti for this opportunity to give back to a city that has done so much for me,” Briggs said. “This is an extraordinary moment to add my voice and perspective to the work of shaping L.A. into a model of ... policing, fostering and building trust between our communities and law enforcement, and helping to ensure our city is a safer and more secure place for everyone who calls it home.”
November 19, 2020
By Betti Halsell
Contributing Writer
Dulan’s Soul Food kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine. From sunrise to sunset, there is an ongoing preparation assembly line generated for the daily demand for the award-winning comfort food this legendary, Black-owned family restaurant has built its reputation on for decades.
Owner and founder, Gregory Dulan, explained that the orders must go out on time; his staff and he are constantly racing against the clock. Listening to the buzz of the kitchen, the Dulan’s team is chopping and peeling natural and fresh ingredients for costumer favorites, such as cornbread, peach cobbler, baked mac and cheese, and other feel-like-home delicacies.
Cooking is done in colossal amounts; massive pots of collard greens boiling, and the alluring aroma from the enormous pots of yams simmering.
Mouthwatering delights, such as short ribs, ox tails and meat loaf parade out of the kitchen and onto plates, in large portion sizes, fulfilling a greater need during a global pandemic.
After 40 years in the business, Dulan’s portion size is recognized as one of the unanimous accolades in the costumers’ reviews.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dulan’s team has answered the call in aiding an underserved and financially hurting community with no hesitation.
As participants in the Great Plates Delivered community food assistance program, the restaurant is giving back by feeding those who cannot shop or afford to buy food themselves, including those most susceptible to the severe effects of COVID-19 and the elderly.
The mission behind Great Plates is to fulfill a need that’s deeper than hunger.
Dulan’s Soul Food and Great Plates look to show the community that they care.
Exciting news broke out the day of Greg’s interview, as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded Dulan’s Soul Food with the Minority-Owned Business Achievement Award, on October 15.
The restaurant is now representing all of Los Angeles, as one of the best businesses on a national level. Dulan was humbled by the accolade, stating, “It brought me to tears.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce partnered with Chase Bank to acknowledge “the very best in American small business.”
Reflecting on the original pillar of success, Greg stated, “My father started it off,” explaining how the legacy of the Dulan’s style of soul food began. He went on to share that his parents were the pioneers into the comfort food business, when Adolf and Mary Dulan created “Hamburger City,” he said.
This was the seed of hospitality that was planted into the Dulan name.
The family gradually moved into a variety of cooking pallets, embarking on a down-home, Southern-style cuisine, where more passion was needed.
Adolf and Mary then built “Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch,” a soul food kitchen restaurant in Marina Del Rey, CA.
As a teenager, Greg began working at Aunt Kizzy’s, his first taste of the business. He left the family restaurant to pursue his college degree at Howard University, an HBCU in Washington D.C.
Although he focused on his academic journey, the young Dulan knew he wanted to continue to expand the family’s legacy. Returning home from college, he picked up where he left off, working at Aunt Kizzy’s.
Time passed and Greg gathered enough wisdom from the family kitchen that he and the family felt confident with him opening “Dulan’s on Crenshaw,” a full-service soul food restaurant and banquet facility. “I always wanted to work in the family business. That was my dream, that was my goal,” Greg said.
The foundation was already laid by the entrepreneurial spirit of his parents.
Looking back at where he started, there Greg learned numerous lessons along the way. One tradition that followed him into his own empire was his father’s formula in making the best fried chicken. Adolf Dulan made sure that the family understood that the right way to cook is with love and in large portions, before he passed in May of 2017.
“That would definitely be a recipe that was passed down.” Greg reminisced on the intricate process that his father showed him. He valued the tradition so much, he made his dad’s fried chicken recipe, the signature dish at his own restaurant.
The Dulan empire continues to grow, running three locations on Crenshaw Blvd., Manchester Blvd. and La Brea Blvd.
Their flagship soul food location is found at, 4859 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90043.
This location has outdoor seating, but these delectable delights can also be ordered online, through the Dulan’s official website, Postmates, and Doordash for the flagship location on Crenshaw.
There is word of a food truck being developed for reaching out to the community, Mobily.
In a continuing evert to give back, Dulan’s sponsor a number of other charitable events and causes, including the Adolf A. Dulan Entrepreneurial Scholarship fund, sending local students to prestigious Howard University for undergraduate studies.
Greg closed with these remarks, “There are a lot of good soul food [restaurants] in Los Angeles … the thing that sets us apart, is that we give very large portion sizes on every plate.
And one of the things we are known for, you always get value for your money.”
The foundation of the Dulan’s soul food empire was established through the pioneering spirit of his parents. Greg took that dream and brought it to a national level of recognition.
The pots are deeply filled with love in the Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, and so too are the hearts of those preparing the food and contributing to the well-being of the community.
November 12, 2020
LAWT News Service
Sheltering our population experiencing homelessness is an urgent priority for the City.
The 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, published by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority on July 20, 2020, reported that 41,290 individuals were experiencing homelessness in the City, an increase of 16.1 percent over 2019.
Of this group, 28,852 individuals are unsheltered.
The City reached an agreement with the County on June 16, 2020, to develop 6,700 homeless interventions within 18 months.
However, there are thousands more individuals who require shelter in the City.
The Los Angeles Convention Center, located at 1201 South Figueroa Street, and managed by the Convention and Tourism Department is a City-owned venue that, under normal circumstances, hosts convention and trade shows, among other events.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement or cancellation of nearly all events at the Convention Center in the immediate future.
With no obvious indication of when regular operations will resume, the Convention Center is not being fully utilized as a City asset.
In April 2020, the Convention Center was set up as a temporary medical facility to aid hospitals that might exhaust capacity due to an influx of cases of COVID-19.
The building was outfitted with 250 beds with the ability to expand operations as necessary. While cases spiked in the City through the summer of 2020, the Convention Center was never utilized for medical patients
The Convention Center could provide an opportunity to bring vulnerable residents indoors during the winter months.
This spacious venue has the potential to shelter a large number of individuals experiencing homelessness, and centrally focus the delivery of services and housing placements.
To support our unsheltered population, the Convention Center should be evaluated for use as a temporary emergency homeless shelter.
This analysis should include the number of beds that could be reasonably incorporated into the building, and the potential services, funding requirements, and revenue impacts of such a project.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council instruct the City Administrative Officer and the Chief Legislative Analyst, with the assistance of Convention and Tourism Department, General Services Department, Bureau of Engineering, City Attorney, Fire Department, and any other departments as necessary, to evaluate the use of the Los Angeles Convention Center as a temporary emergency homeless shelter and report to Council with a feasibility analysis and recommendations within 30 days, and request the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to assist with this evaluation.