The Los Angeles City Council is set to vote on Tuesday regarding a significant agreement estimated at around $177 million, which would direct taxpayer funds to several influential tenant advocacy nonprofits, some of which have a history of suing the city.
This proposal, backed by Councilor Nithya Raman, a candidate for mayor, aims to secure a three-year funding deal predominantly sourced from Major ULA’s mansion tax revenues. The money is intended to primarily support efforts to protect tenants from evictions and to run programs aimed at preventing homelessness.
Earlier in the month, Raman’s Housing and Homelessness Committee endorsed the initiative, effectively clearing the way for the final city council vote. The agreement involves four key organizations: the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation, Strategic Action for a Just Economy (SAJE), Liberty Hill Foundation, and Southern California Housing Rights Center.
These groups constitute the core of Los Angeles’ Stay Housed LA network, a robust coalition that offers legal advocacy, rental support, and tenant organizing across the city, holding considerable sway at City Hall.
They’re also known for their dynamic street activism, organizing protests, demonstrations, and rent strikes while also filing significant lawsuits against the city concerning homeless clearances and housing regulations.
More than $106 million is earmarked for the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation to provide eviction defense services.
Attorneys from Legal Aid have consistently adopted assertive legal strategies against city policies. For instance, one attorney, Sheila Myers, recently represented a coalition in a lawsuit against Los Angeles, which claimed the city lacked the authority to seize vehicles in its attempt to clear abandoned RV camps.
SAJE, which is also expected to receive $6 million from the city, has drawn scrutiny for its firm positions, which include calls for defunding and even abolishing police departments, promoting hotel boycotts, and opposing the city’s plans to host the 2028 Olympics. The group has also engaged in litigation over land-use matters, such as contesting a proposed hotel on public land in South Los Angeles.
A full House vote is planned for Tuesday.
