There are ten state propositions on the ballot and dozens more measures for LA County and its many cities. It’s a LOT to keep track of— we are here to help you make sense of it all! Join LA Forward Executive Director, David Levitus, as he breaks down the key props and measures for you.

Join members in the Sawtelle area who have been building community through monthly meetings since March. If you're in or around Sawtelle and want to connect with other community members wanting to make your neighborhood more and more of the neighborhood you know it can be, RSVP below to get the meet-up address, hosted in-person by a fellow Sawtelle resident!

Join LA Forward Institute and Pomona United for Stable Housing (PUSH) at Downtown Pomona's Art Walk Night in support of Housing Now!'s 1 Million Homes Campaign! Affordable housing isn't scary and you can learn how to demand our law makers reach this goal by 2030.  Come enjoy an evening of learning, food, and fun!  Art Walk features a variety of crafts and delicious food and promises a good time for all ages! Join us on Saturday, October 12th from 5pm to 10pm.  Art Walk happens on 2nd Street in Downtown Pomona. 

Over the last six months, residents across the SGV have participated in LA Forward Institute’s SGV Community Leadership for Affordable Housing  Academy to build policy, advocacy, and organizing skills to support affordable housing production (and more!) in their communities. Now, they’re ready to pitch their initiatives to community members who also want to preserve, protect, and produce affordable housing for their neighborhoods. You’re invited to hear their ideas, decide which ones you would support, and celebrate their leadership over lunch — on us! RSVP below or at this link, so we know how much food/seating to have on hand :)

Location:

Esther Snyder Community Center4100 Baldwin Park BoulevardBaldwin Park, CA, 91706United States

Join a conversation with journalist Alissa Walker and LAFI Executive Director David Levitus about the Vienna social housing model, spotlighted in the August 2024 issue of Report Forward, David’s experiences visiting Vienna social housing last Spring, and the exciting new possibilities for social housing in LA County.

Social housing is a “public option” for housing — it’s permanently affordable, under community control, generally mixed-income, and outside the speculative real estate market. The social housing movement in LA County is also focused on ensuring that social housing is resident-run, rather than managed by large corporate or government bureaucracies, and that it offers pathways to ownership. In Vienna, about 40 percent of the housing stock falls under the broad definition. And over the last two years, dozens of LA elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and housing policy experts have traveled to Vienna to tour some of the most famous examples. These delegations, organized by the Global Policy Leadership Academy, have sparked high-level conversations around social housing models right in LA at the time that funding is available to actually turn ideas into action

RSVP for Zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0of--urD4vHNIbUrLwMfuMhXHvoPeC4dXX#/registration

We all know we need more affordable housing, but what does it take to actually develop it? Join members of LA Forward Institute's Housing Justice Action Team as they learn the basics about affordable housing development with Alan Greenlee, Executive Director of SCANPH (the Southern California Association of Non Profit Housing). Open to all who want to become smarter policy advocates for affordable housing! RSVP using this link.

Are you looking for a local climate justice community? This is a chance to hang out, grab some coffee and pastries, and discuss climate justice in LA! Whether you’re an experienced activist or simply curious, we’d love to have you join us. We’ll be meeting at Palms Park. RSVP using this link.

Join LA Forward Institute and allies from Pasadena For All, Union Station Homeless Services, San Gabriel Valley Consortium on Homelessness, and others as we learn about the recent United States Supreme Court decision referred to as Grants Pass. We’ll also discuss Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order which could allow for cities to criminalize poverty and homelessness; and the possible on-the-ground impact of these decisions.  There will be time for regional discussions to include LA City, Pasadena, and other cities. RSVP at this link.

Major governance reforms are being proposed for LA County, which voters are likely to see on their November ballot. These changes include increasing the number of county supervisors, creating an elected County Executive position, adding ethics reforms, and more. Earlier this month, we heard from the author of the proposal, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. Join us now to learn from a panel of community groups about their perspectives on the proposal and where we go from here. RSVP using this link.

For July, the monthly meeting of LA Forward Institute’s LA City Housing Justice Group will feature a Zoom-based conversation on the history of the housing justice movement in LA. Who are the largest movers and shakers in housing justice work in LA? What challenges forced movement organizations to emerge, and what contributions have those groups made to the landscape of housing justice work in the city? Join LAFI’s own Executive Director, David Levitus, as he shares his research behind the history of housing justice work in the City of Angels, and implications for our work in housing justice today. RSVP below for the Zoom link, or use this link.

The lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest problems we face in Los Angeles County. Your city — led by your elected city councilmembers — has the power to do something about it. They also have the power to protect renters rights, keep people housed, and preserve the affordable housing we already have! Join us for a conversation about the issues you care most about and how you can get your local government to help these problems. No special knowledge or experience needed.

We are going to focus on the “Housing Elements” that every city has to create that outlines their plan for making sure housing is fair and affordable in their town. Tenant protections, rent control, and homelessness prevention can be part of your city’s Housing Element. The Housing Element is your city’s housing plan, and is like a housing constitution. We are calling on all community members who are worried about housing issues and costs right now; and those who wish to prevent replication of racist and classist housing policy.

Right now, cities are submitting their housing elements to the state for feedback. Unfortunately, many cities have not done enough outreach, especially to working class communities and communities of color.

You’re invited to join us for a discussion and workshop to learn more about how your neighbors are participating and how you can make an impact on your city’s Housing Element and housing policy. Please RSVP below for the Zoom link.

The lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest problems we face in Los Angeles County. Your city — led by your elected city councilmembers — has the power to do something about it. They also have the power to protect renters rights, keep people housed, and preserve the affordable housing we already have!

Join us for a conversation about the issues you care most about and how you can get your local government to help these problems. No special knowledge or experience needed.

Please RSVP for the Zoom link.

In 2022, Los Angeles will elect a new City Attorney — someone who can fight against abusive landlords, employers stealing wages, and companies destroying our environment; work to prevent people from being forced out of their homes and stop the criminalization of homelessness; halt the misprosecution of petty misdemeanors; and negotiate conditions that can reform LAPD’s culture of impunity.

Most voters have zero idea what is possible through this office. That needs to change. Please join us for a teach-in to learn more about this important role in our local government, and connect the dots between issues you care about and this open position on the 2022 ballot. Hosted by LA Forward Institute and sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild-Los Angeles, Ground Game LA, Public Rights Project, Sunrise Movement LA, Public Counsel, and Los Angeles Urban League.