Helping people to stay housed

CD 5 Council Report

by Katy Young Yaroslavsky

child how humanity is capable of such evil.

During our conversation, my son asked how I know that it won’t happen again, and I told him the truth. I told him that it won’t — because we won’t let it. I could tell him that confidently because, every day, I see the resilience of the Jewish community on display here in Los Angeles, as well as the demonstrations of solidarity by non-Jewish allies. Even in the face of a horrific uptick in antisemitic hate crimes here in Los Angeles, including the recent attack on two Jewish men leaving shul in Pico-Robertson, we have come together, and we are fighting back.

Each of us shows up every day and practices that spirit of resistance so that, when our children or our nieces and nephews come to us and ask how we can be sure that the Holocaust won’t happen again, we can confidently tell them that it won’t. Because, working together with intentionality and resolve, we won’t let it.

Did you know that it costs 10 times more money to house someone after that person becomes homeless than it does to keep the person from becoming homeless in the first place?

With the city’s homelessness crisis at the top of mind for residents, our local government has an unprecedented focus on bringing people indoors. We are utilizing programs like Inside Safe and increased resources from the state and federal governments. But these initiatives won’t get us out of this crisis if we don’t prevent more folks from being pushed into the streets in the first place.

Right now, people are becoming homeless faster than they can receive housing. As Los Angeles’ eviction morato-

CD 13 Council Report

by Hugo Soto-Martinez

rium has expired, the disparity could become even worse.

To empower renters and to help prevent illegal evictions, our office put together a list of resources, including:

• A flow chart showing if one might be at risk of being evicted;

• A guide on how to respond to an eviction notice;

• Legal workshops so renters know their rights; and

• Resources on how to form a tenants’ union.

You can find all of these re- sources and more by visiting bit.ly/larenterhelp.

We also are looking to give people the right to a lawyer in eviction court, just like they have the right to a lawyer in criminal court. We know this will help prevent illegal evictions that force families into encampments. When New York City passed a similar law, 84 percent of renters were able to stay in their homes. By helping our neighbors, sharing these resources with our communities and supporting hardworking families who are struggling to make ends meet, we can keep folks from living in the streets and start reversing the trends that created this homelessness crisis.

Visit bit.ly/larenterhelp to find Council District 13’s renter resources.

Carolyn Ramsay leaves legacy

By Suzan Filipek

Carolyn

Ramsay,

a muchloved and active member of the community since she moved to Norton Avenue in 1993, is heading back to her hometown at the end of May.

Among her numerous Los Angeles leadership positions, Ramsay served as a deputy for Councilman Tom LaBonge and, then, chief of staff. More recently, she has been the executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation for the past five years. Among numerous achievements for the Foundation, she launched the Los

Angeles Park Forest Initiative that, to date, has planted shade trees at 22 parks.

Her involvement with the environment began soon after she arrived in Los Angeles with her husband, Andy Goodman. She worked as a freelance writer, including for the Los Angeles Times Magazine and New York Times, and she dove into community issues.

She started the nonprofit Olive Branches to raise funds for parks, school gardens and medians including two on Larchmont Boulevard today. She served as president of the Windsor Square Association and worked to secure the Windsor Square Historic be closer to both of their families.

CD 13 hires a new field deputy for Larchmont, Windsor Square

Councilman for District 13, Hugo Soto-Martinez, has hired a new field deputy for Larchmont Village and Windsor Square. Karla Martinez took the post in mid-April. She grew up in Ontario, Calif. and graduated from USC.

In addition to Larchmont and Windsor Square, her area includes Greater Wilshire, East Hollywood and Los Feliz. She can be reached at karla.g.martinez@lacity.org or at her office phone at 213-8473878.

Local residents to present Twice a Citizen Awards

The Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation (LAPRF) will present the 2023 Twice a Citizen Awards on Sat., May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Presidents of LAPRF, local resident Karla Ahmanson and her co-president Michael Sellars, will present the two Angeleno couples being recognized by the foundation along with two retired reserve officers receiving awards. The couples are honored for donating their time and resources to supporting local causes while the reserve officers are honored for their many years of service.

LAPRF partners with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to recruit volunteers who donate their time to protect and serve our city. The volunteers receive the same training as full-time LAPD officers and work in tandem with the officers. The program has been in existence for more than 75 years. Its efforts are meant to build a bridge between the communities. RSVP at info@ theproperimageevents.com.