I would oppose the LA City Council's 6% rent increase on rent-controlled units in LA, and additionally, I would have fought alongside my progressive colleagues in council to extend the rent freeze. I believe in housing as a human right, not a commodity for profit, and this increase only serves to further exploit tenants and exacerbate our eviction to homelessness pipeline. My campaign platform specifically calls for robust rent control policies that limit annual increases to a percentage tied directly to local cost of living and wage growth year over year, not arbitrary percentages that outpace inflation. Ultimately, this increase failed to consider tenants' voices and needs, which goes against my belief in co-governance.

The LAPD receives an overwhelming portion of our city's budget, with a quarter of our general fund directed towards policing. While other departments face severe budget cuts and job losses, the LAPD continues to receive excessive funding. Essential services – services that keep us safe – like youth development, street maintenance, and lighting, suffer as a result. Our budget shortfall is being exacerbated by overspending, 80% of which is attributed to police and liability, with a significant portion allocated to LAPD lawsuits and “trip and fall” lawsuits. We can actually save money on liability payouts AND improve public safety by investing in proactive measures like fixing sidewalks, improving street lighting, and maintaining our urban infrastructure.

I do not believe that there was adequate study on the impacts that these billboards would have in neighborhoods – distracting drivers and disturbing residents. I would push for a comprehensive study on existing digital billboards' effects, stricter placement regulations, an exploration of alternative revenue sources, and, most importantly, increased community input and making sure impacted residents have a direct say in this decision.

2,500 units per year

To reach our goal, I plan to implement several strategies. These include leveraging public land for affordable housing development, streamlining approvals for 100% affordable and supportive housing projects, expanding adaptive reuse opportunities through a citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, partnering with nonprofit developers and community land trusts to acquire and preserve existing affordable housing, advocating for increased funding sources, implementing strong anti-displacement protections, and working closely with HCIDLA and HACLA to coordinate efforts and maximize the impact of city resources.

As a Highland Park native, I have watched as my classmates, friends, and neighbors were pushed out of the neighborhood that raised them because of skyrocketing rents. As a tenants rights attorney, I’ve fought in the courtroom against the impact of these rent hikes. And as a single mom, I know that the only reason I have been able to stay in my community is because I still live in my childhood home with my father as a multi-generational family. Rising rent has dramatically outpaced wages and until we control rent increases, more families will be pushed out of Los Angeles, and the eviction to homelessness pipeline will continue.

You can’t sweep people into housing that doesn’t exist. 41.18 is expensive and ineffective. This strategy – clearing encampments without providing adequate housing and support services – displaces vulnerable people without addressing their needs, and actually makes the problem worse – people lose their critical belongings like ID’s and medication, which sets them back even further in the re-housing process and limits their ability to access supportive services. We need a housing-first approach that actually gets folks off the streets permanently — strategies like investing in permanent supportive housing with wrap-around services and increased street teams, mental health crisis interventionists, and community resource hubs.

I support a Bus Rapid Transit Line on Broadway to connect the downtown area and South Los Angeles, as well as proposed plans for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure around the convention center corridor and throughout the region. I think we can also expand the designated bus lanes along Figueroa Street to connect South LA all the way to Eagle Rock, running throughout CD 14. Additionally, I will work with Metro on bus stop improvement plans to create shaded and cleaner stops, along with Transit Watch App and Metro Ambassador programs. Finally, we can and should add real-time bus information displays at stops for folks waiting.

CD 14 is home to one quarter of the city’s unhoused population. It would be my priority to set up community resource hubs throughout the district to bring a range of services – from housing placement assistance, mobile health clinics, mental and behavioral health assistance, legal services, and job assistance – to people in one place. I would use discretionary funds to support these community resource hubs and grow a housing-first and services-oriented approach to our homelessness crisis.

When big pieces of land are empty, or houses are vacant, it only makes our housing crisis worse and drives up the cost of rent. I support a vacancy tax that would encourage property owners to rent or sell their properties, increasing the housing supply and reducing rental costs. I would also charge property flippers speculation fees, in order to stop corporate landlords from turning a profit at the expense of everyday working people. That speculation fee would be reinvested into public services and affordable housing initiatives.

We also need to focus on Community Land Trusts. CLTs acquire and manage properties so that residents have a direct say in property management and development. That means corporate landlords can’t have complete control over our housing stock. We can allocate surplus land to be administered by CLTs and direct the city to buy up vacant buildings and develop them into affordable housing administered by CLTs. Additionally, we must expand and invest in public housing/social housing/cooperative projects managed and collectively owned by the community to ensure long-term affordability, prevent displacement and challenge the dominance of profit-driven landlords.

As a councilmember, I will work to create pedestrian-friendly streets with wider sidewalks, improved crosswalks, and strategically placed benches for resting. I will implement traffic-calming measures such as roundabouts, chicanes, and raised crosswalks to slow down traffic, making our streets safer for everyone. Additionally, in areas with high foot traffic, I will reintroduce on-demand crosswalks to enhance pedestrian safety. These crosswalks will give pedestrians the ability to activate traffic signals when they need to cross, providing an extra layer of safety in areas with heavy foot traffic.

And of course, as a longtime cyclist, I plan on implementing protected bike lanes to create dedicated spaces where cyclists can safely travel without the fear of colliding with motor vehicles. This proactive approach will help reduce accidents, injuries, and fatalities on our roads, making it safer for everyone, including pedestrians and motorists.

As a lifelong public transit rider and a single mom whose daughter often relies on Metro, making sure our public transit systems are safe for all of us is a top priority. That starts by making it free. When more people have access to affordable transit options, our streets (and our climate!) become safer places due to a decrease in cars, and our buses and trains become safer places because of increased ridership leading to safety in numbers.

Additionally, I propose a substantial investment in our Metro ambassadors — not just more of them, but for them to be better trained, better paid, and available for as long as the train is running. They must have a comprehensive orientation that includes conflict resolution training and de-escalation techniques.

Expanding the city council is a critical step toward curbing corruption within our governance structure. In a city as vast and diverse as Los Angeles, the current council size of 15 members is insufficient to adequately represent the needs and voices of four million inhabitants.

By increasing the number of council members to at least 25, we not only enhance representation but also dilute the concentrated power wielded by a few individuals. A larger council disperses this power, reducing the potential for council members to establish and maintain large fiefdoms, and it minimizes the incentives for corrupt practices, like kickbacks and the exploitation of public resources for personal gain.

One of the key elements of my campaign and plans for CD14 is my commitment to co-governance. L.A., especially our district, requires a fundamental shift in how we approach governance, placing power and decision-making in the hands of the people. That's why my office will be an open book, regularly engaging with constituents through town halls, community meetings, neighborhood councils, and social media. Every decision that impacts our district will be communicated clearly, allowing for feedback and suggestions from residents.

I also believe we desperately need participatory budgeting, which involves residents in allocating a portion of CD14's budget. Through public meetings and forums, constituents will have a direct say in how public funds are spent, prioritizing projects and initiatives that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities. Our campaign is already operating under a co-governance model by hosting policy roundtables attended by community stakeholders, activists, organizers, and residents to help us craft and create our policy platforms. We plan on continuing this work in city hall.

As much as I critique capitalism, I can't deny that I love playing Animal Crossing. I just finished Book 5 of Dune. I wanted to be a hip-hop choreographer when I was growing up. I'm really good at writing bad poetry, and my teenage daughter says I have the style of a grandma or a 5-year-old girl.

I voted yes to ensure renters remain housed while supporting “mom and pop” landlords who struggled to maintain their properties during the rent freeze. This balanced approach prevents small landlords from being forced to sell to corporate interests, which would only further reduce affordable housing options. It also enable them to address maintenance needs for their tenants. I fought to keep the increase capped at 4%, blocking efforts to raise it to 8-10%, which would have created unjustified hardship on tenants. My focus has always been on creating fair solutions that protect tenants while ensuring we sustain safe, livable housing for all.

I voted yes because I’m not willing to gamble with the lives of my constituents. Public safety is a top priority, which means we need a well-trained, effective police force to protect our communities. Competing cities offer higher pay, making it difficult to recruit and retain officers. This contract ensures that we can attract top talent in a competitive environment, which directly impacts the safety and well-being of Angelenos. Just like any industry, quality results come from quality people, and in public safety, lives depend on it every day. By investing in competitive wages, we’re ensuring that the LAPD can deliver the highest level of service, keeping our neighborhoods safe.

I voted in favor of this plan after thoroughly analyzing the proposed billboard locations in CD14. In my district, the billboards will be placed in commercial and industrial areas, ensuring the least impact on residential neighborhoods. My focus has always been to protect the quality of life for our community while maximizing opportunities for improvements. Consequently, I also introduced a motion to direct the revenue generated from these billboards in our district back into our neighborhoods, funding critical improvements like pedestrian/bicycle safety and transit upgrades. This plan is a balanced solution that supports community investment without disrupting local residents.

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Every council district must contribute its fair share to meet the city’s housing goals. In CD14, we’re exceeding targets with the DTLA 2040 and Boyle Heights Community Plans. DTLA 2040 is zoned for 100,000 new units, representing 20% of the city’s household growth on just 1% of its land. New projects must set aside 8% Acutely Low-Income, 8% Extremely Low-Income, or 10% Very Low-Income units. Boyle Heights has a projected need for 11,000 units by 2040, with mandatory set-asides of 13% Acutely Low-Income, 15% Extremely Low-Income, 17% Very Low-Income, or 22% Low-Income. I’m not waiting for a citywide plan; I’m leading by example, ensuring we meet our affordable housing obligations.

I would be open to lowering maximum rent increases to 3% to protect tenants who are struggling with rising costs in an already challenging housing market. Los Angeles isn't just in a housing crisis, but an affordable housing crisis, and it’s crucial that we protect renters from unsustainable rent hikes. At the same time, we must ensure that small landlords aren’t driven out, as corporate takeovers of these properties often result in less affordable housing. Balancing tenant protections with support for small landlords is key to keeping our housing stock affordable and preventing corporate-driven displacement.

The root causes of homelessness are challenging and complex. While the city doesn’t have authority over mental health resources, substance abuse services, or other social services, we do have control over the ability to build the necessary housing. Solving homelessness requires both building housing and enforcing laws like anti-camping ordinance 41.18. Without housing, homelessness will continue. I'm proud to have led CD14 in bringing the most housing units online anywhere in the city, which has been key in reducing homelessness for two consecutive years — one of only three districts in LA to do so. My approach combines compassion with accountability. We offer safe, dignified housing, but also enforce anti-camping laws to protect schools, daycares, parks, and other sensitive spaces. Our community deserves clean and safe public areas, just as our unhoused neighbors deserve stable housing. This balanced strategy is how we make real progress in addressing homelessness.

CD14 under my watch has the largest capital infrastructure program of any Council District. I have prioritized every neighborhood in my district. In less than four years, I’ve secured over $200 million in grant funding for CD14 projects, the majority of which is for transportation projects. We currently have projects in motion on Eagle Rock Boulevard and Figueroa Street in Northeast LA; Eastern Avenue, Huntington Drive, Valley Boulevard, and Mission Road in El Sereno/Lincoln Heights; Cesar Chavez Avenue, Boyle Avenue, and 8th Street in Boyle Heights; 7th Street, San Pedro Street, and Santa Fe Avenue in Downtown LA. These projects are planting thousands of new trees, miles of new sidewalks and bike paths, thousands of pedestrian lights, and bringing intersections into ADA compliance. In addition, I’ve built 14/18 new playgrounds and a new pocket park with two new parks currently under construction.

I would continue to use my discretionary funding to fund to address the pressing needs CD14 such as our food distributions which have fed over 50,000 families. I currently fund a cleaning crew comprised of nine trucks that we purchased and 24 local hires who supplement city crews to clean the district five days a week. I’ve provided additional funding for LAPD overtime, repairing streetlights, trimming thousands of trees, and reconstructing new sidewalks to name a few things. I also use these funds to pay for four annual fireworks shows that we hold in Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, and Boyle Heights every year. Finally, I provide smaller grants to organizations such as schools and community groups that are in dire need of small amounts of funding to operate their community-based programs.

Housing affordability is one of the main reasons that Angelenos are being forced out of their homes and onto the streets. Solving the housing crisis is critical for all Angelenos but it is a complex issue that needs a multi-pronged approach. I have remained focused on ensuring affordable housing is available to everyone who needs it by using our community plans as a tool to increase housing but specifically affordable housing through the implementation of the city’s first inclusionary housing program via the DTLA 2040 Plan.

Additionally, I have rolled out our city’s first pre-approved set of plans for Accessory Dwelling Units which my office funded, so someone who can walk in the door at the Development Services Counter at 1 p.m. and out the door at 5 p.m. with an approved ADU ready to build. These are the kinds of common-sense programs I have worked on to make sure we’re ready to meet the needs of our community.

Vision Zero has not succeeded at decreasing the rates of fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists. The reality is that just over 6% of all L.A. streets account for 70% of pedestrian deaths and injuries. I have several of those streets on the city’s High-Injury Network.

I have taken concrete steps to reverse this tragic trend. I authored a motion calling for a multi-year plan to upgrade all crosswalks city-wide by adding warning lights to let drivers know that pedestrians are present and secured funding to begin the initial design for upgrading our crosswalks.

Plans are meaningless without funding. I’m proud to have secured over $90 million within the first three years of joining the Active Transportation Program (ATP) Grants from the California Transportation Commission. These funds will be used to deliver improvements that increase the safety and mobility of pedestrians and cyclists while increasing the use of active modes of transportation, like walking and biking. In two major grants, one for Skid Row and the other for Boyle Heights, the funds will deliver essential improvements for some of the city’s poorest communities: curb cuts, major increases to pedestrian lighting, thousands of new street trees, and new bike lanes.

My top safety issue is the reduction of violent crime in the city. I want to make sure every Angeleno feels safe walking down the street, using public transportation, shopping or simply enjoying a meal outside. While homicides dropped overall in the city, some communities like Boyle Heights in Council District 14 saw an increase that required additional law enforcement resources. To deter these crimes, we need to equip police and prosecutors with the tools to go after the organized crime rings that are perpetrating crimes like the current rash of “smash-and-grab” robberies. Everyone who lives in Los Angeles wants to feel safe walking down their street or sidewalk, riding public transportation, or even shopping at a store.

We also need to invest in our city infrastructure to make communities safer which is what I have done, especially in communities with higher crime rates like Skid Row and Boyle Heights. That means ensuring there is ample street lighting, trimmed trees, and safely lit sidewalks to ensure there aren’t dark places that invite criminal activities. I would also propose seeing an expansion of programs like LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership in other parts of my district facing similar socio-economic challenges, specifically in areas with gang activities such as in District 14.

I understand and empathize with Angelenos who feel discouraged by the recent criminal corruption scandals and demoralizing events that have unfolded in our local government. I believe that our city government needs to be more transparent and accessible to all Angelenos. I also believe that when a mistake is made that a true leader should own that mistake and reconcile it for the people we serve.

That is why I have owned my role in the recorded audio tapes and have immediately apologized for any harm that I have caused to our city and my constituents. As a leader, I have always been willing to talk to people directly about the struggles that have faced our city and I have continued to do so. While I have owned my responsibility in the leaked tapes, I have also continued to do my job and serve my constituents throughout this time.

Angelenos need their city to provide the basic services so that they can thrive and that is what my staff and I have focused on during this past year. Since I took office I have brought over $150 million in funding to our district to provide better parks, repair our streets, and provide interim housing for those who are unhoused. I have made my mistakes but I learned from them. Restoring public trust means delivering tangible, measurable results for the residents of Los Angeles.

My team and I have hit the ground running since joining the council, and we will continue to do so if re-elected. Below are some of the things that we have secured and plan to build on during a second term: Homelessness in District 14 declined for the first time ever. We housed more unhoused Angelenos than any other council district in the City of L.A. Built more interim homeless housing than any other city council district — over 2,000 new beds. Built more new playgrounds than any other council district for District 14 children and their families. Removed more illegal dumping from neighborhood streets and alleyways than any other council district.

We also secured $150 million in outside grant funding exclusively for District 14 that will allow thousands of new trees to be planted, thousands of new pedestrian lights to be installed, and major improvements to our streets and parks. Secured over $8 million for the rehab of Hazard Park including the construction of a new soccer field and playground. Secured $8.5 million for the construction of the new 6th Street park under the 6th Street Bridge which will be built during the next few years. Secured $25 million for the rehabilitation of Hollenback Lake including dredging the lake. And spearheaded the improvements along Colorado Boulevard with construction of over 200 pedestrian lights to provide a safer environment for businesses and residents.

During my spare time you can find me visiting my grandson and reading Spanish books with him and singing Spanish songs. Becoming a granddad is the absolute best experience because it’s far less stressful than being a first-time parent. You get to enjoy the moments together with a relaxed sense of what really matters in life.