Boyle Heights March Protests Rent Increases, Housing Conditions

Two tenants rights organizations are leading a march in Boyle Heights against high rent and housing conditions today.

Tenant Power March & Parade will kick off at 10 a.m. at Hollenbeck Park, before heading to Boyle Heights City Hall and ending at the intersection of Cesar Chavez and Soto.

The organizers — the Los Angeles Tenants Union and the Union de Vecinos — said over 800 people have signed up to attend.

Leonardo Vilchis-Zarate, a member of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, said the Boyle Heights march is just the beginning.

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"This is the start of a longer campaign where each neighborhood plans to have a protest in their area directed at the housing department and their local city council member about this 9% rent increase," said Vilchis-Zarate.

One focal point of the protest is rent increases of up to 9% on rent-stabilized units beginning in February 2024 allowed by the Los Angeles County Housing Department.

Organizers say the increase will lead to more tenants being pushed out. Currently, 74% of Boyle Heights residents are renters.

Evictions have steadily risen since Los Angeles saw the end of the eviction moratorium and rent freeze protections earlier this year. In August, the City Controller's office released data on evictions. One of the districts with the highest number of landlords filing eviction notices is Council District 14, which encompasses the community of Boyle Heights.