The Little Tokyo Community Council and The Rafu Shimpoinvited the candidates running for Council District 14 to answer questions on issues impacting Little Tokyo. We received responses from three candidates: Councilmember Kevin de León, Wendy Carrillo and Ysabel Jurado. Also running in the March 5 election are Genny Guerrero, Teresa Y. Hillery, Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas, Nadine Momoyo Diaz and Miguel Santiago.
Wendy Carrillo
I was born in El Salvador and came to Los Angeles as a refugee. I grew up in Boyle Heights and attended the local schools there such as Roosevelt High School. I attended East Los Angeles College, and transferred to Cal State L.A., where I earned my BA in rhetorical communications studies with a minor in Chicano studies, and later attended USC, where I earned my MA in specialized journalism with an emphasis in demographics. I have worked as a community organizer with Latino-focused organizations with a mission to ensure more communities have access to green spaces, parks, and stronger environmental protections for neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
Since 2017, I have had the immense privilege of representing a large majority of Council District 14 in my overlapping Assembly district and I’m ready to get to work alongside all of you in Northeast L.A., El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, Downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. I have served as the assemblymember for Assembly District 52 for the past seven years.
Kevin de León
Elected to the City Council in 2020, de León has announced that he is seeking re-election. He highlighted his track record housing more homeless individuals and building more homeless housing than any other district. He was an early champion of tiny home villages, helping to build the largest such community in Highland Park in 2021. He has also advocated for more green space in disadvantaged neighborhoods, including the recently announced revitalization of Pershing Square Park in Downtown L.A.
Prior to joining the City Council, de León was a professor, senior analyst, and distinguished policymaker-in-residence at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; as well as a Distinguished Fellow for Climate, Environmental Justice and Health with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. He was elected to the California State Senate in 2010, and in 2014 he was elected by his colleagues to lead the Senate, making him the first Latino to serve as president pro tempore in over a century. Before his election to the Senate, he served four years in the State Assembly.
Prior to being elected to public office, de León worked as a community organizer and also as a teacher, teaching English as a second language and U.S. citizenship. Working for the National Education Association and the California Teachers Association, he advocated to improve funding for schools in low-income neighborhoods, modernize school facilities, and expand health insurance for children. The first in his family to graduate from high school and college. He attended UC Santa Barbara and graduated from Pitzer College with honors.
Ysabel Jurado
Jurado is a tenants rights attorney, affordable housing activist, mom, and lifelong Angeleno. Born and raised in Highland Park, she attended Pasadena City College and put herself through college at UCLA, where she completed her bachelor’s degree. After graduating, she went on to UCLA School of Law, where she graduated with a Juris Doctorate with specializations in critical race studies and the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. She did it all while raising her daughter, Stella.
As a housing rights attorney and during her work at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Jurado fought to stop tenant evictions specifically in historically Asian Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles and stood side by side with community organizations and small businesses that were at risk of losing their leases. Her practice has focused in particular on building pathways to home-ownership for communities of color, the preservation of open space, and reparative justice.
Her platform focuses on increasing access to housing, ending homelessness, supporting small businesses, and building a more just economy for all. She brings both the institutional and professional knowledge of a legal housing expert and the lived experience of a queer, immigrant-raised, working-class, woman of color – a battle-tested representative for and from the community.
Candidate platform and priorities:
Carrillo:Affordable housing, homelessness, mental health, public safety and environmental justice.
De León:Revitalization of more parks in the district; reconstructing and improving streets and sidewalks; more public transit improvements projects in every CD14 neighborhood; installation of thousands of new street and pedestrian lights; planting thousands of new trees for beautification and increased shade. Further info: https://www.kevindeleon.com/issues/
Jurado: People can go to my website to read the full scope of my platform and candidate priorities: https://ysabeljurado.la/issues/. My priority issues are labor rights, homelessness, climate and environmental justice, public safety, transportation, and housing.
Question: In a district that includes some of the city’s wealthiest constituents as well as the most indigent, what is your plan to address the homelessness crisis in your district? How will you do so in a way that respects the dignity and immediate needs of unhoused individuals yet balances it with the important priorities of the small business community?
Carrillo:As an assemblywoman I fought for our communities and allocated $50 million in state funds to upgrade and retrofit the historic Los Angeles County General Hospital and to develop the underutilized portion of the West Campus at LAC+USC. The project is set to provide affordable housing units, community services, job creation, workforce development, health and wellness assistance, county services, and renewable energy for the surrounding community. As part of the Restorative Care Village proposal, the General Hospital project would include 184 market-rate units and 371 affordable units amid a healthcare campus with resources for homelessness, unemployment, mental health and substance abuse. Making this a place where our unhoused residents can get much-needed wraparound services.
De León:Tackling homelessness has been my number one priority since taking office. I have built more homeless housing than any other councilmember in Los Angeles. This has been crucial to successfully addressing homelessness in CD14, by offering the unhoused a place to go to get off the streets. For the Little Tokyo area, there was a huge homeless encampment at Toriumi Plaza. My team and I housed over 100 people and were able to clear the plaza. This was done compassionately with the primary goals of housing the homeless individuals and removing the encampments from obstructing public space.
Jurado:To tackle the homelessness crisis, we need:
– Tenant Protections: We need to stop people from becoming homeless in the first place. That means protecting tenants by passing rent control measures, establishing a right to counsel, implementing stricter regulations on eviction practices, and investing in financial and relocation assistance programs for tenants who need support.
– Housing First Approach: More affordable housing is the only solution to homelessness. We need to make major investments in L.A.’s affordable housing stock, and support initiatives that provide immediate, unconditional housing to homeless people. Investing in affordable housing will also reduce the strain on emergency services, healthcare, and the criminal justice system.
– Community Resource Hubs: As a councilmember, one of my top priorities is the creation of a community resource hub system that offers shelter, meals, and wraparound services like mental health counseling, job training, and social support – from helping residents request critical documents that are required for many housing solutions, to helping them make and track doctors appointments. These spaces will be designed to help bridge the enormous gap between street services, temporary residences, and permanent supportive housing. By investing in community resource hubs, we can create a comprehensive safety net to address the underlying causes of homelessness, and help unhoused people more easily navigate our complicated housing system.
– Collaboration with Mutual Aid Groups and Nonprofits: Local mutual aid groups and nonprofit organizations have been leading important, on-the-ground work for years to support unhoused individuals. They have spent countless hours earning the trust of our unhoused neighbors and deeply understand their needs. It’s time for the city to invest in programs that are already working, collaborate with these self-made experts, and rely on their insights to develop effective policies.
Question: What is your top public safety issue and how would you address it? What would this look like for the Little Tokyo community?
Carrillo:Public safety is a city-wide issue and I understand that we have a police department that is being pulled in various directions but as your councilmember it will be my priority to work with the new Interim Police Chief Dominic Choi to our senior lead officers on the ground to make sure that Little Tokyo receives the resources it needs to provide safety to our residents, businesses and visitors. I am also committed to work with the Little Tokyo Business Association and the Little Tokyo Business Improvement District to bring safety solutions to Little Tokyo.
De León:My top public safety issue has been ensuring we have a police department that can respond to crimes, such as smash-and-grabs that affect our local businesses, as well having the proper mental health professionals respond to homeless related incidents. I secured space for CIRCLE, a groundbreaking program that responds to homeless-related incidents, right in Little Tokyo so that we can have quick responses to homeless-related incidents. The CIRCLE team provides 24/7 response to non-violent LAPD calls related to homeless individuals and helps ensure that LAPD can focus their efforts and address criminal activities.
Jurado:Our police budget continues to balloon, but Angelenos still feel concerned for their safety. I want to try a different approach – investing in community based measures, and unarmed crisis response. For instances of mental health distress and substance abuse disorders, for example, what our struggling community members need in those desperate times is trained and compassionate professionals, not aggressive and intimidating police officers, who are ill-equipped (if at all) to deal with these sensitive situations. It’s a sad truth that we have seen way too many situations such as these end in tragic death, rather than help for a person who was in a vulnerable time of need; robbing a life and leaving grieving families in their wake.
Another example is routine traffic stops. It’s a waste of police resources for officers to be making these traffic stops in the first place. Unarmed city workers could fill the same position, creating good-paying, union jobs for civilians in the process.
It’s time for a smart, new approach to reduce crime in LA. We can start by investing in social services, after-school programs, mental health support, affordable housing, reentry programs, job training and community-led initiatives and oversight committees to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions and ensure transparency. When our police budget expands, other departments contract. It’s time to reassess the allocation of resources to prioritize community services and programs that address the root causes of crime, such as education, housing, mental health, and job training. This will involve reallocating some funds from the police department’s budget to these essential services.
There is no reason the LAPD should have tanks or military-grade weapons. That’s why I strongly advocate for the demilitarization of the LAPD. Redirecting funds away from such excessive acquisitions will enable us to invest in important community programs that have the ability to truly help people in crisis, not harm or incarcerate them.
Public safety also extends to small businesses. I know that small businesses in Little Tokyo have been victims of crime and we should work to protect them. I am committed to supporting them by providing funding for things such as gates for windows and installing better lighting.
I know how important both community and public safety are for the longtime residents of Little Tokyo and would involve representatives from community groups, such as Little Tokyo Community Council and Sustainable Little Tokyo, in the formation of such social services and community-led initiatives as I proposed above. I would also include existing Little Tokyo community groups in decisions about how to best allocate available funds that would (hopefully) result from a decrease in the LAPD’s current budget.
Question: For nearly 150 years, Little Tokyo has been a “gateway” community where low-income immigrants and people of color could afford to settle after moving to Los Angeles. This status has been in jeopardy due to the past 20 years of gentrification. How would you help our community ensure that it remains affordable?
Carrillo:As your councilmember I want to ensure that we use city-owned property in a way that is reflective of the Little Tokyo community. Looking at expanding affordable housing as well as affordable commercial space for local small businesses. In addition, I will strengthen tenant protections while ensuring local family property owners have the tools they need to keep communities together.
De León:One of my priorities as councilmember has been the implementation of DTLA 2040, the community plan that governs development in Downtown. When I assumed office, there was no requirement that projects build affordable housing. I modified the community plan to have inclusionary zoning, which mandates that all housing projects, regardless of their size, have to include affordable housing. Market-rate housing isn’t going to get us out of our housing crisis; affordable housing will.
Jurado:Greedy landlords and corporate real estate firms are becoming relentless here in Los Angeles, pricing out many longtime residents and long-standing mom-and-pop businesses. As a tenants’ rights attorney, this is my specialty and as it states in my bio, I am no stranger to fighting them. As councilmember I will continue this fight for the community of Little Tokyo and our other cultural neighborhoods facing similar fates. Some issues I will take up in the fight for keeping our oldest communities affordable are the same as those on my platform of Affordable Housing for All, such as:
– Tying Rent Control to Real Wages: Rent control should be tied to wage growth across the whole city. If wages aren’t increasing, neither should monthly rent checks.
– Vacancy Taxes and Speculation Fees: 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.
– Community Land Trusts (CLTs): 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.
– Social and Community-Owned Housing: It’s time to expand public housing in Los Angeles. By investing in social housing projects managed by the community, we can ensure long-term affordability and prevent displacement.
– Empowering Residents with Community and Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Acts (COPA/TOPA): My plan involves working toward the facilitation of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) and Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). These resources empower residents to take control of their housing situations and actively shape the future of their communities. By ensuring access to these resources, residents gain the opportunity to have a substantial say in the management and development of their living spaces.
Question: Land values and rents have increased yearly and many small Little Tokyo businesses have closed as these increased costs cannot be passed on to customers. The trend is expected to worsen with the new Metro station now open. What will you do to keep legacy businesses from being forced out due to gentrification?
Carrillo:As your councilmember I want to ensure protections for existing business through the various city departments and offices. I will continue to work with the state departments to provide funding incentives for Little Tokyo businesses. At the peak of COVID, I was responsible for passing some of the largest funding bills to protect families and small businesses from closure and safety impacts and will continue to pass measures like this in council.
De León:Legacy small businesses are critical to the success of Little Tokyo. But there is very real danger in losing them because of rents increasing. This is why I helped facilitate securing funding for legacy small businesses for the Go For Broke Project. I have also committed to helping pay for permanent alfresco dining along the historic 1st Street corridor to provide more space for restaurants. Additionally, one of the key components of the Mangrove and 1st/Central Project that I have requested is space for legacy small businesses that have been priced out of other properties in Little Tokyo.
Jurado:Unlike our current councilmember, I don’t cozy up with the real estate developers that sell out our communities. In December, I stood with the community of Boyle Heights in speaking out against proposed luxury apartment development on Brooklyn Street that would cause the eviction of five small businesses, including legacy business, El Apetito restaurant, which has been in the community for over 30 years. I became an eviction defense attorney specifically to protect our legacy businesses, like El Apetito, and I will do the same for the legacy businesses of Little Tokyo.
I also plan to adopt a co-governance model once in office that centers transparency, community engagement, and constituent access. This means that I will engage with local small businesses and work with them to solve their issues. I want to hear from my community directly because the only way that I can address their concerns head-on is to meet with them and give them the opportunity to advocate for their needs.
Question: CD 14 is very diverse. L.A.’s Department of Cultural Affairs determines funding based on neighborhoods to fairly distribute resources. Little Tokyo’s vital artistic and cultural ecosystem is often evaluated against heavily resourced neighbors on Grand Avenue and elsewhere in this city. What is your approach to balancing the city’s resources for arts and culture organizations and museums within CD 14?
Carrillo:I have been fortunate to represent 70% of the 14th Council District in the Assembly. It is one of the most culturally and historically diverse in the city and I am committed to expand resources and funding to the Department of Cultural Affairs so that they may expand services to communities like Little Tokyo through equity analysis and practice. We have to keep in mind which communities are not receiving their fair share and remedy that at the budget level.
De León:I’ve already committed $250,000 in Arts Development Fee Funds for the creation of a public art piece at 2nd and Alameda. My office worked with the Department of Cultural Affairs to facilitate a grassroots process to select a local artist. I will continue help facilitate processes for the community to include new public art pieces. Furthermore, I have been very supportive of the vision to bring art and cultural programming to Toriumi Plaza. Community organizations recently secured funding from the NEA to help develop a plan for arts programming at the plaza. I will be working with the Department of Transportation to help facilitate permanent improvements to allow for increased programming at this site.
Jurado:Arts and cultural spaces are vital to community development, education, and engagement. Cultural institutions like the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) are vital to not only the Little Tokyo community but are essential to preserving history and celebrating diversity. Too often, the arts and cultural space leans too heavily in support of institutions that are dedicated to preserving European or eurocentric art and culture. While all arts and cultural institutions are essential to our community, we need to ensure that arts and culture from diverse backgrounds and communities are reflected and prioritized as they have too often been left out of the conversation and given less funding than their counterparts.
As a city councilmember I will ensure that I allocate budget and resources for diverse institutions like JANM, La Plaza De Cultura y Artes, the Chinese American Museum, and more to thrive and continue being pillars of artistic and cultural integrity in LA and beyond.
Question: With so many candidates with different strengths, what sets you apart? What makes you the right choice for CD 14 residents? Given the priorities and concerns named in LTCC’s Little Tokyo Community 2024 Platform, in what ways are you the best candidate to lead on those issues?
Carrillo:I am fortunate that my mother and father made the 14th District our home when we immigrated to the United States as refugees. I attended local schools including El Sereno Middle School and proudly graduated from Roosevelt High School and completed my higher education in L.A. as well at Cal State L.A. and USC. I grew up in these communities and fought hard in the Assembly to bring our fair share of resources to our communities.
Out of the other candidates I have the most effective proven track record of not only fighting, but securing millions of dollars to improve our communities. Between my homegrown roots and effectiveness in the Legislature, I am the best candidate to represent CD14.
De León:What sets me apart from my opponents is the results my team and I have done for the district. We have not just talked about what we were going to do, but have done them. I helped champion and facilitate the tripling of the LTSC-Go For Broke affordable housing project. I secured funding for a public art piece at 2nd and Alameda and facilitated the process for the community to choose a local artist to install the art.
I worked with Metro to tie the 1st and Central Metro development site with the city Mangrove site so that the community amenities that the Little Tokyo community wants can be built out holistically. I have been leading the re-envisioning of the Civic Center Master Plan and have required that the community be a key player in decisions that are made about the city properties.
I have committed to help small businesses along 1st Street by helping fund permanent alfresco dining so that they can continue to thrive. I have secured funding to make improvements along San Pedro Street from Temple all the way to the I-10 Freeway that will add lighting and street trees along the corridor. Every chance I have had, I have fought for the best interests of Little Tokyo and will continue to do so throughout my time as councilmember.
Jurado:My journey from a single teen mom to a housing rights advocate and community lawyer has provided me with both the professional and lived experience one needs to serve this district. I’ve ridden the buses, I’ve relied on government aid, I’ve seen my own father experience being a victim of wage theft and racial discrimination as an undocumented worker, and I’ve seen the community change due to gentrification. I am the best candidate to lead on these issues because I have lived through them myself. And I feel confident in my ability to take this next step in serving my community.
If elected, I would be the first Filipina to serve on the L.A. City Council. The historic nature of my campaign has fueled me to keep on going because not only am I fighting for myself but I am fighting for the opportunity to represent my community and I hope to pave the way for more diverse candidates to seek positions in office. We need the City Council to be as diverse and reflective as the communities it represents.