November 03, 2022

By Marsha Mitchell

Contributing Writer

 

The housing affordability and homelessness crisis in Los Angeles is the culmination of decades of racist housing policies that have separated and pushed out Black renters and homeowners—from redlining to Los Angeles' strategy for how it places freeways. The fixes should be coming from inside City Hall—but as the leaked City Council conversations reveal, those in power, who have the most ability to address our history and make changes that can benefit us all, are more concerned with amassing their power.

If you want to see what multiracial solidarity looks like, you only have to look at the work done on Measure ULA.

This has been a powerful movement of community-based organizations that have mobilized people to address the most pressing needs of the people because city government has not adequately addressed it.

One of the largest coalitions in Los Angeles came out to mobilize for Measure ULA - a one-time tax on the sale of properties over $5 million - to create a permanent, robust source of funding for affordable housing and renter protections in Los Angeles.

Powerful black community organizations included in this 225+ organization strong coalition include:

• Black & Asian Coalition

• Black Jewish Justice Alliance (BJJA)

• Black Women for Wellness

• Community Coalition

• LA CAN

• Los Angeles Black Worker Center

• Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade - Black United Fund Inc

• SEIU 2015

• Southern Christian Leader­ship Conference of Southern California

But the coalition has also united with AAPI organizations, Latino organizations, climate justice organizations, housing justice organizations, and human rights organizations to solve the most significant crisis in LA, which is one of our city's own doing.

It should be noted that on the other side of this ULA movement are real estate companies and their corporate lobbyists, who have pushed even more Black and brown renters and homeowners out of Los Angeles and are squeezing Angelenos financially. They are trying to distort the issue and confuse voters by saying Measure ULA will make life worse. Do not believe their scare tactics. Our coalition and communities are fighting for a solution to a historical legacy of inequality. The only way it can be worse is if we fall in line with the people who stand for profits over people so they can continue to profit off of our suffering.

Marsha Mitchell is the director of Communications for the Community Coalition.

Category: Opinion