The Brief

This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat.

On election night, Ysabel Jurado said bringing back basic city services to the region was among her first orders of business.

One hundred days in, the L.A. councilwoman has taken initial steps to do so.

Jurado — who represents the council's 14th District, which includes Boyle Heights, El Sereno, parts of downtown L.A. and other communities — has introduced motions calling city agencies to look into the district’s unreliable street lights and the closure of a Boyle Heights library plagued by construction delays. While these reports are forthcoming, Jurado has touted these actions as “just getting started.”

“Good things take time, and they take even longer at City Hall,” Jurado said in a statement to Boyle Heights Beat.

A newcomer to city politics, Jurado acknowledged she has faced challenges while learning the ropes of city government.

“This job comes with a steep learning curve, but I’m also reminded the system is not designed for newcomers — people like us — but I am committed to breaking down barriers,” Jurado said.

Sworn into office in early December, Jurado, 35, began her term just before a series of destructive wildfires shut down LAUSD schools, caused power outages, and displaced tens of thousands of people in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Jurado’s January swearing-in ceremony at Resurrection Church was postponed, and her office hosted a resource center at Boyle Heights City Hall equipped with masks, water and food for those affected by the fires.

Ysabel Jurado speaks at a protest at Mariachi Plaza on Jan. 20.

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Genesis Peña

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Boyle Heights Beat

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Jurado’s start in public coincided with President Donald Trump’s second term, as well, prompting the councilwoman to advocate for legislation that seeks to protect the city’s immigrant communities amid increased threats of deportation. On the day Trump was inaugurated, Jurado attended a demonstration against deportations at Mariachi Plaza.

The councilwoman has found alliances with the council’s progressive block, recently started a newsletter dedicated to District 14, and taken hundreds of votes during council meetings since she took office. She was appointed to six committees, including Housing and Homelessness and Arts, Parks, Libraries and Community Enrichment.

District residents have had a mix of reactions to her time in office so far. Some say Jurado is “still too new” to gauge how she’s representing their needs. Others say she is “visible” in the community and “setting a good pace.” Residents also say that “if she’s working for our interests, we are not hearing about it.”

Here is a look at Jurado’s first 100 days in office:

First City Council motions

“My first order of business in the first 100 days, we’re looking to light up CD 14,” Jurado told Boyle Heights Beat at her election night party. “Our Sixth Street Bridge has no lighting.”

A month later on Dec. 10 — the day after she was sworn into office — Jurado put forth a motion instructing the Bureau of Street Lighting to produce a report detailing the percentage of streetlight outages in the district, broken down by neighborhood. She also directed the bureau to list recommendations for repairs and strategies to “enhance reliability and sustainability of street lighting.”

The report is expected to be released in April, which would be of special interest to Boyle Heights given that out of the city’s 114 neighborhoods, it ranked second for streetlight outage service requests with 1,907 reports in 2024, according to 311 data.

Another of the councilwoman’s first action items was her motion to assess the renovation delays at Boyle Heights’ Benjamin Franklin Branch Library, which has been shuttered since 2020.

In February, the City Council approved Jurado’s call for the Bureau of Engineering to produce a report listing the reasons for the continued delays and strategies to accelerate construction, as well as interim measures to maintain library services after the bungalow is set to close this year.

This report is also expected in April.

Voting record

On major items affecting the entire city, Jurado has voted in line with the rest of the L.A. City Council.

She voted to deny Kristin Crowley’s bid for her reinstatement as the city’s fire chief after Mayor Karen Bass ousted her.

Jurado also voted with the rest of the council in endorsing the Citywide Housing Incentive Program. This rezoning plan allows the city to meet state goals to build more than 250,000 homes. As the Los Angeles Times reported, it incentivizes developers to build market rate and affordable units, but it largely excludes single-family zones. Jurado noted she voted in favor of a failed amendment calling for more housing in single-family zones.

In the 14th District, Jurado has voted in favor of Rosa’s Place, which recently broke ground and brings 97 units of permanent supportive housing in Skid Row, as well as motions put forth by former Councilman Kevin de León that call for affordable housing for survivors of domestic and sexual violence experiencing homelessness in El Sereno.

She has also vouched for funding for the AltaMed Foundation’s Roosevelt High School Scholars Program and for the ReFresh Spot project that provides the Skid Row community access to restrooms, showers and laundry.

Community outreach

In January, Jurado began implementing what she calls a “co-governance” model, which emphasizes engaging constituents to help shape her leadership.

She’s pledged to demystify city government and make the process more accessible for stakeholders, and recently scheduled budgetary listening sessions for April, aimed at gathering direct input on the community’s priorities.

In a statement shared with Boyle Heights Beat, Jurado acknowledged the fiscal challenges facing Los Angeles and said she wanted to “hear directly from constituents about what we should prioritize in the budget process.”

Since taking office, Jurado has hosted community cleanups with local groups, distributed masks and resources during L.A.’s historic wildfires, and held drop-in office hours at multiple district offices.

Staffing

Jurado spent the first few weeks of her term assembling a core team of staffers, including leaders in anti-poverty campaigns, advocates for the unhoused, former City Council legislative experts and LGBTQ+ advocacy leaders. Her chief of staff, Lauren Hodgins, came to the District 14 team from a lobbying background, a decision that drew criticism when first announced in December.

Since then, more than 20 people have joined team Jurado to manage and serve the district of nearly a quarter million people. Four constituent services deputies, four field deputies and a mix of legislative directors, homeless affairs managers and planning staff are all supporting the councilmember.

District 14 field offices in El Sereno, Boyle Heights and Eagle Rock opened in mid-February. It is unclear when the Lincoln Heights field office is scheduled to open. Jurado told Boyle Heights Beat that one of the feats she’s most proud of was assembling her staff.

“We were very intentional about our hires, wanting to bring fresh eyes and a fresh perspective to city services, and we’re starting to see that pay off in big ways,” Jurado said.

What are community members saying?

A community survey conducted by the Beat garnered dozens of responses from District 14 residents who offered their perspectives on Jurado’s performance.

In the survey, Jurado was lauded for her community clean-up efforts, and the steps she’s taken toward addressing street lighting issues and preventing landlords from evicting tenants during substantial renovations. “Her staff have diligently been meeting with community members,” one resident said. Others said they feel hopeful with Jurado at the helm.

However, one downtown resident noted that Jurado appeared to have more energy while campaigning and hoped she would bring a more fiery leadership style to the City Council.

In the survey, a District 14 resident noted that lights were still out on East First Street and that unhoused people remained on the First Street Bridge. “It looks really bad,” the resident said.

Another downtown resident noted that “it is a bit early to meaningfully judge.”

“There seems to be a bit of hesitancy by the councilmember to actually lead on issues,” the resident said. “In conversations with her staff, they seem open to supporting things for which there is widespread community support, but not necessarily leading to create support for things. And I feel some of the necessary changes and reforms in L.A. require that political courage to lead.”

As another resident put it, “To be honest, the needs are so deep and complex that I don’t think 100 days is even enough time to address them."