LA Councilman Calls to Protect Community Members From Displacement

A rendering of the proposed 577-unit apartment project, which Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson says would drive up rents and “displace lifelong community residents.

Earlier this week, LA City Council President Herb Wesson called for the rejection of a proposed housing project known as District square, and instead insisted that the city should establish an “anti-displacement zone” around the development.

Earlier this week, LA City Council President Herb Wesson called for the rejection of a proposed housing project known as District square, and instead insisted that the city should establish an “anti-displacement zone” around the development.

Wesson sent a letter Tuesday to the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission outlining why the development would lead to higher rent for lower-income households, displacing the community’s residents as a result. He announced he would be releasing a counter proposal “for capping rents on properties within a two-mile radius of projects like District Square and protect renters from ‘predatory’ rent hikes”. Can Los Angeles be doing more to protect their citizens from displacement? What do you think? Give us a call at 866-893-5722

Guests:

David Zahniser, reporter for the LA Times who covers city hall; his recent piece is “Worried about rising rents, an L.A. councilman calls for ‘anti-displacement’ zones”

Chris Schildt, senior associate at PolicyLink, a national nonprofit based in Oakland aimed at advancing racial and economic equity; works with cities to develop anti-displacement plans

Marc Joffe, senior policy analyst at Reason Foundation