All Power Books and West Adams Fight Gentrification

Housing and Homelessness

Central LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

We have been deeply embedded in the West Adams community since the opening of our storefront over two years ago. We understand on an intimate level the personal struggles of our neighbors in the face of rising rents, limited options because of credit scores or financial history, abusive or neglectful landlords, and the difficulty of navigating the bureaucracy of government programs. On a systemic level, we have organized with the Los Angeles Tenants Union to educate ourselves and our community about their legal rights and protections, and to lobby for better policy for renters at risk of homelessness. We know that many renters find themselves in situations where as little as $200 separates them from living on the streets--we know this because we have on several occasions supplied the $200 to keep them from eviction. We have also worked directly with landlords on the behalf of our neighbors to establish payment plans or other alternative arrangements.

We know that expanding our free food programs will keep money in the pockets of families with other bills to pay and enable people to become more secure in keeping up with their housing costs. At present due to cost they occur once a week but could expand to as many as three times per week. A large vehicle would also expand this capacity. We will also be able to expand the assistance that we offer to our unhoused neighbors. We currently accept mail on the behalf of a few individuals, allowing them to receive critical documents such as medical correspondence, ID cards, insurance documents, and more. With funding we could install mailboxes to be able to serve a larger number of people while preserving their sensitive documents in a more secure manner. We also keep a reserve fund to pay for tents, supplies, and even motel stays in the case of inclement weather. Expanding this reserve would enable us to help even more people survive. We currently rely heavily on donations to supply medical supplies to our free pop-up clinics, which provides routine check-ups and preventative care all across Los Angeles semi-weekly. With funding we could make sure these clinics are better supplied to solve a greater variety of issues. Lastly but perhaps most critically, we are ourselves not immune to rising costs. An LA Times article featured us and tells more about our struggles to stay in the community where we have put down roots. A rainy day fund for our rent would be beneficial.

West Adams is a historically Black neighborhood with a rich cultural history and significance which is under threat by rapid gentrification. Enabling us to continue our work would allow people to stay in the neighborhoods where they have roots and learn the tools ro advocate for themselves and others long after their contact with us. The very identity of West Adams, and therefore the diversity and cultural landscape of Los Angeles county, is at stake. If these people are pushed out, like so many others have been in Boyle Heights, Chavez Ravine, Echo Park, and more, West Adams will become just another strip of shiny restaurants with $30 small plates and coffee shops selling $8 espressos, the rich, unique cultural history swept aside for more of what we already have so much of.

We estimate that we have given out over $10,000 worth of groceries and household necessities over the past two years. While we must rely on anecdotal reports of where that saved money is spent, we have many testimonies from neighbors that the money they are able save on groceries because of our distributions is critical in keeping afloat. We have provided direct rental assistance to 3 individuals, directly preventing their eviction. The attached video includes direct statements from neighbors we have assisted. The Los Angeles Tenants union has meetings twice a month in our space, and the turn-out has led to the creation of another subdivision for this area to better and more specifically address members' concerns. Our amazing nurses have volunteered 400+ hours bringing healthcare to the underserved all across Los Angeles, identifying problems early and saving potentially thousands of dollars in medical bills and hundreds more in miscellaneous medical supplies.