City Hall is preparing to allocate millions more in taxpayer funds to activist groups that have been vocal about abolishing the Los Angeles Police Department, halting the 2028 Olympics, and freezing rent prices. This initiative is being pushed forward by a committee that Nitya Raman, a mayoral candidate, leads.
The Los Angeles City Council Housing and Homelessness Committee, chaired by Raman, is set to vote on a proposed $6.6 million, three-year contract with Strategic Action for a Just Economy (SAJE) on Wednesday.
The allocated funds will support Tenant Harassment Protection efforts and educational activities under the city’s Right to Counsel program as well as the voter-supported United to House LA homelessness prevention initiative.
This funding request was submitted to City Hall on February 10, just before the commission meeting, and is part of a broader investigation involving a $177 million package aimed at eviction defense and homelessness prevention efforts, which city officials consider critical for maintaining housing stability for renters.
As per the proposal, the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation is set to receive over $106 million to spearhead eviction defense efforts, while the Liberty Hill Foundation is expected to raise around $22 million for tenant assistance and education. The Southern California Housing Rights Center will be provided with more than $42 million in short-term emergency support.
The SAJE contract alone totals about $6.6 million. Much of this financial support comes from Measure ULA, a tax approved by voters in 2022 that mandates that 30% of its revenue be directed towards homelessness prevention services.
However, it’s worth noting that SAJE is far from being just a conventional legal aid clinic.
This organization has a history of high-profile activism, advocating for the defunding or elimination of the Los Angeles Police Department, calling for boycotts against city hotels, opposing the LA28 Olympics, and supporting extensive rent and mortgage freezes during the pandemic. In 2023, SAJE even sued the city over a hotel development while still receiving public funding.
Reports indicate that SAJE has already received at least $1.43 million in public funds since 2020 from various housing and public works contracts, which included revenue from the city’s Systematic Law Enforcement Program—a fee charged to landlords and tenants, lacking thorough public oversight regarding its expenditure.
Smaller housing providers have voiced concerns regarding these arrangements. Craig Ribeiro, a landlord in Venice, expressed frustration, stating, “Honestly, there were times when we didn’t know if we were going to be able to keep our doors open. And then I realized I was paying money to an organization that was fighting people like me. It’s infuriating.”
SAJE maintains that they do not misuse public funds, with a spokesperson asserting that the organization meticulously tracks its spending and does not divert restricted funds towards advocacy that isn’t allowed. According to city regulations, nonprofits can enter contracts while engaging in policy advocacy, and SAJE is not subject to the city’s lobbying disclosure requirements.
Raman, as the chair of the influential Housing and Homelessness Committee, has significant control over which housing projects progress and their timelines. Housing policy is a pivotal aspect of her platform as a mayoral candidate.
If the commission approves this contract, it will then be sent to the full City Council for a final decision.
