With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
LA City Council Approves $15 Million Deal To Subsidize Hillside Villa Rents
The tenants are calling for the city to use eminent domain and take ownership if their units.
(
Courtesy of Hillside Villa Tenants
)
Topline:
The L.A. City Council on Friday approved a $15 million deal aimed at assisting tenants in a Chinatown apartment complex who have been fighting rent increases for several years.
What’s in the deal? The city will extend an affordability covenant, paying nearly $15 million to the landlord to subsidize rents for some of the units.
But Hillside Villa tenants argue that another provision of the deal — which will require them to pay back owed rent in monthly installments after a six-month period instead of all at once — could make their payments unaffordable and could leave more renters vulnerable to eviction.
Support for LAist comes from
How did we get here? Tenants in the complex have seen their rent increase in recent years. Hillside Villa, originally built as affordable housing in the 1980s with loans from the city, had its 30-year affordability contract expire in 2019. Rents increased by as much as 300%, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said Friday.
The Hillside Villa Tenants Association wants the city to use eminent domain to purchase the property from the building’s landlord Tom Botz outright. But Botz told LAist last year that he's not willing to sell the 124-unit property.
What this could mean for future housing: Hernandez warned that Hillside Villa was just the tip of the iceberg as other similar deals with other properties will also soon expire.
“I have shared my concern that Hillside Villa is far from an isolated incident, it is a canary in the coalmine," Hernandez said. "Across our districts we have thousands of units with affordability covenants that will expire in the coming years. This is a looming cliff that will only worsen our current housing affordability crisis.”
What’s next: Hernandez introduced a separate motion Friday to create an emergency rental assistance program for tenants owing more than six months of back rent because of expiring affordability contracts.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist