Concerns Mount Over Man In Charge of Skid Row Housing Trust (And Other Headlines)

Recently residents living in properties managed by the Skid Row Housing Trust were told they would be evicted for not paying rent that, in at least one case, amounted to less than $56, according to reporting in the Los Angeles Times.

Why didn't the city of L.A. vet the Skid Row Housing Trust leader?

But that wasn’t supposed to happen. The notices sent were in violation of tenant protection laws and therefore illegal, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney.

This is just one misstep that has occurred since Mark Adams was appointed by the city to oversee the Skid Row Housing Trust earlier this year. LAist has learned of additional concerns about Adams as he continues to manage Skid Row’s largest non-profit housing provider, including unpaid business taxes and findings by multiple judges that he overbilled for past receivership work.

My colleague Nick Gerda recently looked into these issues, and spoke with Adams who defended his work, and said the decisions against him are from a small handful of cases out of the roughly 300 court-appointed receiverships he’s handled. You can read about it in detail here.

“It’s an indictment of the city for not doing due diligence on this incredibly important role,” said Jessica Levinson, a former president of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission who teaches at Loyola Law School, after reviewing LAist’s findings. “If judges find that he overbills, then why is this somebody that we’re picking?”

L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto admitted to the Los Angeles Times that her office did not fully vet Adams' resume before recommending him for the job.

Feldstein Soto was not available for comment on Nick’s story but he did speak to Adams. You can read about his answers to LAist’s questions, including why there is a seeming lack of progress on fixing up Skid Row Housing Trust properties. It’s all here.

There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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• Three large Los Angeles County cities — L.A., Glendale and Burbank — are considering political reform and redistricting. My colleague Frank Stoltze wrote more about these efforts as well as what will happen next. 
• Tenants in a L.A. Westside high-rise apartment complex called Barrington Plaza filed a lawsuit to prevent their landlord from carrying out a massive eviction. My colleague David Wagner has more information into why it matters and the history behind it. 
• California officials are calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to quicken a plan to clean up Southeast Los Angeles neighborhoods near the former Exide Technologies battery recycling plant. The plant has caused lead contamination in Boyle Heights and East L.A. neighborhoods. (Boyle Heights Beat)
• At first glance, looking into Dolores Huerta International Academy’s immersion program statistics in Fontana United may not impress you, but looking at the students’ growth over time, you will see noteworthy improvement. EdSource has more on how dual-immersion programs serve students. 
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• Looking for something cool to do this week? View Mister Cartoon’s Angeleno-centric artwork in his Just My Imagination solo show at the Control Gallery/Beyond the Streets through July 16. Tonight you can learn how to dance from expert Broadway instructor Lauren Lim Jackson at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Or if comedy is more your style. on Tuesday nights you can attend a competitive self0care comedy show with Jenny Yang and company at the Dynasty Typewriter. Check out more events this week here.

Wait! One more thing....

Experiencing the joy of being queer

Mallery Jenna Robinson stands outside.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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My colleague Caitlin Hernández’s project Queer LA is all about helping Angelenos figure out how to navigate LGBTQ+ life, with a focus on joy.

Caitlin spoke with four proud queer Angelenos who shared what makes them feel accepted and happy. For Mallery Jenna Robinson, joy is embracing the sisterhood and support in the Black transgender community.

“I want them to know that regardless of what's happening, there are still people out there on the front lines and even behind the scenes who are assuring that we won't stand for this,” Robinson told Caitlin in an interview.

For her, joy is found in advocacy.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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Not only does she host a podcast about true crime centered on the deaths of trans people, she also gives training to organizations and participates in advisory councils and boards to ensure that transgender people’s perspectives are recognized and treated with dignity and respect in L.A.

Read more about Robinson’s joy and that felt by other queer Angelenos here.