Liberty Hill

HUD Chief To Be Confronted by Families Losing Their Homes. POWER calls for a moratorium.

Over 500 people, mostly residents of public housing, will hold a town-hall style meeting at Mar Vista Gardens public housing project tomorrow night with Bessy Kong, the deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  They will confront her with the human cost of the loss of public housing throughout the U.S.

Over 195,000 units of public housing were destroyed last year, and 230,000 more are scheduled for demolition this year. At the current rate, every public housing project in the nation will be gone within 5 years. POWER, a Liberty Hill partner, is calling for a moratorium on the demolition of public housing nationwide.  Download POWER media advisory oct 2009

Economic Growth vs. Economic Equity? That's the Wrong Question.

In the American Prospect, Peter Dreier, Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College, examines new approaches to urban development and how more and more city governments, prodded by local activists, have been using their gatekeeper powers to successfully promote growth with equity.   Led by Liberty Hill partner, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), Los Angeles is pioneering this national movement calling for greater community participation, transparent standards, a clearer understanding of how businesses make investment and location choices, and public benefits proportional to public subsidies for developers. Read the entire article.

Filed by Liberty Hill's new blogger, Julianna Arnold.

New Study Casts L.A.'s Housing Crisis In Stark Terms

This year a national study identified L.A. as the meanest city in the country, based on their treatment of homeless people.

Now it turns out L.A. isn't doing so well by its renters either. A new study from Economic Roundtable documents that over half of LA City tenants living in rent controlled apartments are paying unaffordable rents. Meanwhile landlords who own rent controlled apartments have seen their profits skyrocket.

CityWatch L.A. has a good summary of the study's highlights.

Should Poisoned Communities Be The Site for More Pollution?

Today's L.A. Times talks about a new lawsuit filed by Liberty Hill partner Coalition for a Safe Environment and other environmental groups to block a proposed truck expressway that would bring more pollution to the already polluted communities near the ports of Long Beach and L.A.

Bus Riders Union, Long The Voice of Low-Income Mass Transit Riders, Raise Concerns

Members of the Bus Riders Union said the 30-year transportation plan approved by The County yesterday "declared war" on the county's 500,000 bus riders. They expect it will involve a series of fare increases, potentially raising monthly single-zone Metro passes from $62 to $88 by 2015. Daily passes could rise from $5 to $7.

Read a story about the transportation plan.

Powered By Liberty Hill - Advancing Change in LGBTQ Justice

Liberty Hill just announced its LGBTQ Justice Awards.

Asian Pacific Islander Equality - Los Angeles $30,000.00
Barbara Jordan Bayard Rustin Coalition $20,000.00
CA Faith for Equality $15,000.00
Courage Campaign $15,000.00
Gay-Straight Alliance Network $30,000.00
Gender Institute LA  $25,000.00
Latino Equality Alliance $20,000.00
South Asian Network $20,000.00
Transgender Law Center $25,000.00

 

Powered By Liberty Hill - Advancing Change in the Environment

Liberty Hill just announced its Fund for Change Environmental Justice Awards.

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now-Los Angeles $25,000.00
Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization $20,000.00
Heal the Bay $20,000.00
People's Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment $22,000.00
Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education $35,000.00
The City Project $20,000.00

Is Community Organizing An Effective Way to Lead School Reform? A New Study Says Yes

A new study by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform of community organizations working for school reform found that community organizations working for school reform are "making considerable strides in school reform across the country." The study included several U.S. cities including Los Angeles.

We haven't seen the complete study yet, but we know that several organizations powered by Liberty Hill were included in the report.

Car Wash Workers Win Extended Protections

As we mentioned in an earlier post, AB 236, a bill to renew the state’s “Carwash Worker Law” was in doubt only a week ago. In a flurry of bill signing, the Governor signed the bill extending the law to 2014. Liberty Hill grantee partner CLEAN Car Wash has been active in the campaign to extend the law.

Sponsored by Assembly member Sandre Swanson (D), the law requires all carwashes to register with the state, enabling the state to prevent employers who have violated labor laws in the past from continuing to do so. It also requires that carwash employers purchase a surety bond as wage insurance and contribute to the “Carwash Worker Restitution Fund,” both of which provide workers with a means to collect owed wages.

Coming Out Again - 13 years later

As National Coming Out Day came to an end last night, I was sitting in my apartment in Hollywood feeling quite safe and secure, knowing I could walk to the corner store and no one would care if I was gay or not.

I'm not saying anything revolutionary by pointing out the fact I am privileged to live without that fear. Hundreds of thousands of my gay, lesbian and trans brothers and sisters live with that fear daily. This weekend I met Sirdeaner Walker, the mom of Carl Walker-Hoover, who took his own life earlier this year at 11 years old after relentless bullying at school because the kids thought he was gay.

Sirdeaner told a crowd of 600 gathered for GLSEN's LA Respect Awards that she finds the courage to speak about her family's tragedy because that is how she ensures her son's death will not be in vein.

Thirteen years ago, I came out, just 4 months before we lost Matthew Shepard in his brutal murder. Judy Shepard found and continues to find that same courage Sirdeaner finds. These amazing women are 2 of my everyday heroes.

    
 
 
I've been an activist since before I came out and in this last year since we lost the marriage battle in CA, I've had so many moments where I wanted to quit. I wanted to quit because I was angry. Because I was resentful. Because I was tired. Because too few of us are fighting this fight. But then I think about Judy Shepard. I think about the 16 year old lesbian who marched on the Mormon Temple with me in November when she and I were jumped from behind and kicked around. I think about my mother and my grandmother's activism on our behalf. And now, since Friday night, I hear Sideaner Walker's words echoing in my ears.

How can I be too tired, angry or have any other excuse to quit?