LOS ANGELES, CA – The CD11 Coalition for Human Rights calls on Mayor Karen Bass and other City leaders to intervene on behalf of CD11 constituents who are being criminalized, displaced, and banished from the Westside at the behest of a Councilmember who answers primarily to real estate interests, police, and a minority of homeowners. Traci Park is failing not only her constituents living in poverty, but all of us who desire to live in a vibrant and diverse community that embraces people of all economic classes.

Peggy Lee Kennedy, an organizer with CD11 Coalition for Human Rights, made the following statement: “If we have learned anything, criminalization and displacement are inhumane. Our beloved diversity is being ruined. We need to stop harming people and restore low-income housing on the Westside now.”

An in-person action will be held on Saturday, July 13th at 2:00 p.m. at the corner of Venice and Lincoln Blvds. in Venice to protest Councilmember Traci Park for the reasons set forth below.

Traci Park is eroding renters’ rights: A majority of CD11 residents are renters, but Traci Park has undermined protections for tenants across all incomes. She went on record opposing renter protections, including a one-month grace period for tenants struggling to pay rent, and a rule requiring landlords to pay relocation fees in certain circumstances. She also supported the illegal mass eviction of 577 low-income households at Barrington Plaza after taking in $566,000 from the building’s owner, corporate landlord Douglas Emmett.                       

Traci Park is banishing poor people from our community: Since taking office, Traci Park’s strategy for dealing with unhoused people has been to remove them from CD11. She uses force and criminalization as deterrents, engaging in non-stop sweeps and LAPD enforcement–after taking in $400,000 from the LA Police Protective League. She has designated new 41.18 and 80.69.4 zones at a rate higher than any other council member. The effect is to shut out options for parking for vehicle dwellers and expose people to fines and prosecution simply for being homeless. This strategy, referred to as the “criminalization of homelessness” is inhumane and has been proven time and again to be ineffective.

Traci Park has used the Inside Safe program to transfer people out of our community: Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program has been used in CD11 to move people to distant districts, including CD1, CD8, and CD10. As a result, they end up far from their healthcare providers, employment, schools, and friends. A more effective and just solution would be to house people in their community, close to their friends, family, jobs, and services.

Traci Park is blocking supportive housing: Despite the Mayor’s declared “state of emergency” on homelessness and her effort to increase and expedite affordable housing through Executive Directive 1, Traci Park is blocking supportive housing developments–even those that are already city-approved and ready to be built. For example, the 140-unit Venice Dell Community was slated to break ground in 2022, but is now indefinitely delayed as a result of Traci Park’s hostility to the project. Park also campaigned to block 33 units of supportive housing at the Ramada Inn, and is undermining efforts to establish affordable housing at service provider sites like the Disability Community Resource Center. As of December 2023, CD11 had only 82 proposed units under Executive Directive 1, which represents less than 1% of ED1 units proposed citywide.

Traci Park is closing our only shelter: The Venice Bridge Home, which is our community’s only shelter for people experiencing homelessness, is set to be closed by the end of 2024, with no new intakes after July 1. The 134 residents currently living at the Bridge Home will likely be permanently displaced from the community and lose their ties to local services, as there is no known replacement shelter for this site.

Traci Park fails to protect unhoused residents from inclement weather: This past winter, Service Planning Area 5 (which includes CD11) had NO winter shelter beds. Only one extreme weather shelter was established at Oakwood Recreation Center for 3 days during a severe storm.