As told to the Los Angeles City government August 2019.
Communications with city employees
Denial of housing services
* The intercom system unit 9 and outside the building is unusable. The intercom needs repair * Unit 9 tenants are still being denied a tandem parking stall
* The back interior stairs remain unstable and need repair as they are dangerous wobble when walking on them
March 24, 2019
Los Angeles- From the city website:
“A PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS
“Los Angeles is uniting to end the greatest moral and humanitarian crisis of our time. Homelessness will not be solved overnight — but the City and County of L.A. are working more closely together than ever to bring unsheltered Angelenos back inside with homes, healing, and hope.
“People sleeping on the streets tonight can’t wait for new housing to become available, but existing shelter beds in Los Angeles simply do not meet the growing need. More than 25,000 of our homeless neighbors — from the streets of Koreatown to the banks of the L.A. River — will not have access to a bed tonight.
“Measure H is generating $355 million each year to provide a wide range of services to help people in desperate need. Proposition HHH is giving the City $1.2 billion to build thousands units of supportive housing over the next decade — units that will be paired with those same services, so that unsheltered Angelenos can go home for good.”
A Bridge Home Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti
Commentary by
G. Juan Johnson
2020 Candidate for Council District 10
I wonder what will happen if one of these Black Homeless tenants has a maintenance request? What will happen if one of the Homeless tenants needs a parking space? Will their concerns be ignored? Yes, we know the city will be selective as to who gets this housing —and who does not. I have been waiting for over four years for maintenance to my intercom in a rent controlled building (while other white tenants clearly have a working intercom) ) and waiting for over four years for a tandem parking stall (while whites clearly have one). In the picture below you will see lots of government employees. Which employees will be in charge of denying housing services to Black tenants?
The city rent control departments and code enforcement departments (and LA Housing) have a secret number that tells them how many rent control and code violation complaints a person like myself has to file before I get relief. I don’t think a city employee should be allowed to have that secret number.
$355 million dollars is pouring into Los Angeles says the city website.
But not one penny will be used to repair my intercom or provide tandem parking. Not only penny. And I am still forced to pay rent.
“…equal privileges…”
Which employee in the picture will be able to say to me, “Yes we are ordering today your intercom repair because you are entitled to equal privileges, same as white tenants” and “we are ordering the owner to assign you a tandem parking stall because you are entitled to equal privileges, same as white tenants”.
City Los Angeles Bridge Home Staff. Which employee is responsible for denial of full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever ?
42 USC 1983
“Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer’s judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.”
42 U.S. Code § 1981 – Equal rights under the law (redacted)
“(a) Statement of equal rights
All persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall have the same right in every State and Territory to make and enforce contracts, to sue, be parties, give evidence, and to the full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of persons and property as is enjoyed by white citizens, and shall be subject to like punishment, pains, penalties, taxes, licenses, and exactions of every kind, and to no other.
“(b) “Make and enforce contracts” defined
For purposes of this section, the term “make and enforce contracts” includes the making, performance, modification, and termination of contracts, and the enjoyment of all benefits, privileges, terms, and conditions of the contractual relationship.”
LA Rent Control (RAC) and Permits (LADBS) 