1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Previously on Wadian House. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 2: It's interesting to me because the people that are trying 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:14,319 Speaker 2: to criminalize and demonize homelessness have probably never experienced it. 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 2: So let me throw that back. If the shoe was 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: on the other foot and if they had to endure 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: the you know, the heat, the excessive heat, the lack 7 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 2: of resources, which if you're not part of the solution, 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: then you're part of the problem. You are not giving 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 2: the community the ability to scratch out of this. You 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 2: want to criminalize it, but yet you know we are here. 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 3: Welcome back to Weedian House. I'm your host, Theo Henderson. 12 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 3: Today on the show, I wanted to take a moment 13 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 3: to explain things that are not obvious in the episode, 14 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 3: but I want to call attention to Like all of 15 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 3: my episodes, it was created with intention for a purpose. 16 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 3: This week's purpose is exposing eviction in different circumstances and 17 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 3: how it impacts the person that's being evicted. In mainstream society, 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 3: we focus only on house evictions and the stressors that 19 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 3: come along with it. This week's Unhoused news and interviews 20 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 3: will showcase the dimensions of evictions and how people cope. 21 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 3: For example, a current hillside villa tenant in Chinatown, LA 22 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 3: will take us through their journey of facing eviction. In 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 3: Unhoused News, we will also learn what the Elmonte residents 24 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: facing evictions are experiencing. Pay attention to the similarities and 25 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: the differences that occur in real time. This episode can 26 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 3: affect you whether you're housed or unhoused. Evictions are the 27 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 3: connective tissue, so please listen carefully. 28 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: But first, on House. 29 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: News, foreign house people were executed in Chicago while sleeping 30 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 3: on the train on Labor Day twenty twenty four. V 31 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 3: in House were killed shortly before five thirty am. When 32 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 3: victim's name is Simeon Berrow, twenty eight years old. Another 33 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 3: victim name unknown male, was fifty two. Another victim name 34 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 3: Annou was a sixty four year old woman. The fourth 35 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 3: unhoused person name ann was taken to the hospital and 36 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 3: that of their injuries there. The attack appeared to focus 37 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 3: on unhoused people. Surveillance caught the culprit who was apprehended. 38 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 3: Our next story on September sixth, twenty twenty four, and 39 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 3: resuming September thirteenth through the fifteenth. At six thirty am, 40 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 3: the US Army Corps of Engineers with the Los Angeles 41 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 3: Sheriff's Department offering aggressive sweep support. We will be removing 42 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 3: one hundred plus unhoused people on federal property in LM. Monte, California, 43 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 3: using ordnance violations that's justification such as three hundred twenty 44 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 3: seven DOT seven camping, three hundred twenty seven Dot nine sanitation, 45 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 3: three hundred and twenty seven Dot ten fires, three hundred 46 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 3: and twenty seven Dot twelve restrictions, three hundred and twenty 47 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 3: seven DOT fourteen, public property, three hundred twenty seven Dot fifteenth, 48 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 3: abandonment and empowerment of personal property, three hundred twenty seven 49 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 3: Dot twenty unauthorized structures, three hundred twenty seven DOT twenty 50 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 3: two unauthorized occupation, and three hundred and twenty seven Dot 51 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 3: twenty four interference with the government employee. The unhoused community 52 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 3: have not been offered viable resources from the Core to 53 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 3: aid in relocating. Law enforcement have threatened to arrest the 54 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 3: residents if they remain Our next story. A major heat 55 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 3: wave will descend on Los Angeles this week. It's highly 56 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 3: encouraged to freeze and hand out cold water bottles to 57 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 3: the unhoused community wherever you see them. Cooling stations will 58 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 3: be open from ten am to nine pm. Here are 59 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 3: the cooling centers. Lincoln Heights Senior Center at twenty three 60 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 3: twenty three Workman Street nine zero zero three one, Sunland 61 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 3: Senior Citizen Center at eighty six forty Fenwick Street, Sunland. 62 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: California, Mid Valley. 63 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 3: Senior Citizen Center eighty eight zero one Keester Avenue, Panorama City, 64 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 3: ninety one for zero two, Fred Roberts Recreation Center forty 65 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 3: seven hundred Hondura Street, and lastly Jim Gilliams four thousand 66 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 3: South Lebrae Avenue. In addition to these cooling centers, libraries 67 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 3: offer a cool place during business hours. Remember, public libraries 68 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 3: offer the one bag rule for unhoused people. No outreach 69 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 3: vans are available to transport people two and from the 70 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 3: cooling centers. 71 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: No storage fill facilities. 72 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 3: Are available for unhoused people if they utilize these services. 73 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 3: Outreach teams are not available to direct you to the 74 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 3: nearest cooling center. Our last story is our true research fact. 75 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 3: Can you guess how many unhoused children are in Iowa? 76 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 3: The answer when we come back this is unhouseless. We'll 77 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 3: be right back. Welcome back to Weedi and Howes. I'm 78 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:43,239 Speaker 3: THEO Henderson. When we last left off, the question was raised, 79 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 3: can you guess how many unhoused children are in Iowa? 80 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 3: The answer is seven hundred and twenty four thousand, four, 81 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 3: one hundred and eighty three. 82 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: This week we. 83 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 3: Are delving into eviction, housed and unhoused. Our first story 84 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 3: deals with the threat of eviiction people are facing at 85 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 3: Hillside Villa in Chinatown, LA. Our guest was this conversation 86 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 3: Phoenix So, a journalist with Los Angeles Public Press and Alajandro, 87 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 3: a Hillside Villa resident. 88 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: Here's the conversation. 89 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 4: My name is Phoenix, I'm a reporter at LA Public Press. 90 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 4: I'm working on a podcast called The Tenant Association. It's 91 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 4: about the Hillside Villa tenants. Hillside Villa is a low 92 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 4: income apartment complex in Chinatown and the tenants have been 93 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 4: fighting for six years. They've been fighting against rent increases 94 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 4: of hundreds even thousands of dollars. Six years ago, their 95 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 4: rents were protected by something called a covenant, which restricted 96 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 4: their rents to affordable levels. But as soon as that 97 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 4: covenant expired, their landlord tried to raise their rent like 98 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 4: by you know, really punishing levels, and so the tenants 99 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 4: actually organized and have been fighting back for six years, 100 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 4: really long time, and they've really they've really had a 101 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 4: lot of fluence. They got the city council to vote 102 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 4: to explore eminent domain as a solution. 103 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 3: You went through too, if I may introject to city 104 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 3: council members, because I remember, this fight was a long 105 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 3: laborious process to forrest then the city council member Gil Cidio, 106 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 3: to even fight for the community, put the imminent donain 107 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 3: and get them actually to do the right thing. You know, 108 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 3: am I missing that because I remember hearing it in 109 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 3: the news and seeing some of the press conferences that 110 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 3: I covered. 111 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 4: So yeah, No, the tenants were able to you know, 112 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 4: they protested outside of Citio's office, his events, gil Cidio's 113 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 4: office and his events, and they were able to get 114 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 4: this really powerful council member to put eminent domain on 115 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 4: the city council agenda, and they outlasted him because then 116 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 4: soon after he lost the election and everything like that. 117 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 4: So yeah, the hillside Ville attendants, they really changed the 118 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 4: conversation about housing in LA And the podcast that I'm 119 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 4: working on right now and that will come out soon 120 00:07:59,160 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 4: is all about that. 121 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: Who So let's take a little bit warp of step back, 122 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 3: because like, when this happened, how did I'm going to 123 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 3: this is directed to you, Alahundra, How did the residents 124 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 3: at the time feel that this was so such an 125 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 3: important issue? Because most often or not, and I have 126 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 3: been person that I currently live in SRO, but I've 127 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 3: lived in places that always never is the most best 128 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 3: of places or low income and usually what I was 129 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 3: always instructed there's nothing you can do. Just move because 130 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 3: it's a lot of big castle because this is a 131 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 3: very landlord favored kind of environment, and no matter what 132 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 3: you do, you're really just it's really got anything that's 133 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,719 Speaker 3: going to be done about it. So what changed that 134 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 3: kind of thinking for you guys that were pushing for 135 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: this for over six years? 136 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 5: Like Phoenix said, the covenant expire and actually we're we 137 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 5: were living good, we were paying a random time, we 138 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 5: didn't have much problems. So they're maybe taking kind of 139 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 5: long time to fix stuff, but not in major until 140 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 5: we receive the notifications that rents would be increased. And 141 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 5: we thought, well that's one because the first notification we 142 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 5: got is that O rens might increase. Then the second 143 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 5: notification we got is that rent would increase in my 144 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 5: case from one thousand and sixty three dollars to twenty 145 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 5: four hundred and. 146 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 3: Fifty and they asked what type of apartment was this. 147 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 3: It's a two bedroom apartment. So I would say, my goodness, still. 148 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 5: Betroom my apartment. So then one of the tenants, she 149 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,839 Speaker 5: unfortunately passed away. Her name was Louis Louisa. She got 150 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 5: in contact to a Spanish news and they came to cover, 151 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 5: you know, what was happening, and they called a member 152 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 5: of Los Angeles Tenant Union and that's how we started 153 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 5: to organize. They help us to organize to fight back, 154 00:09:56,559 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 5: and that was basically how we started. Because we're in 155 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 5: there for years, like in my case, I lived there 156 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 5: for twenty seven years. November, it's going to be twenty 157 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,479 Speaker 5: eight years. I move into Kilsavilla. 158 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: Wow. 159 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 5: And there are most of the tenants that we are fighting. 160 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 5: We've been there for fifteen years, twenty years, thirty years. 161 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 5: We have the first two families who move in when 162 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 5: the building was run new, over thirty years living there, wow, 163 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 5: So those our home. Actually I know we're paying train. 164 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 5: We don't own it, like we don't have any papers 165 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 5: saying oh, this is Jews, but this is our home. 166 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 5: This is our neighborhood. We're in there for years. Everything 167 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 5: is close to everybody there, like schools for the kids. 168 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 5: People go to their doctors close by. So that's our home. 169 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 5: That's why we started fighting for it. We don't want 170 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 5: to move nowhere to have a community. It's like it's 171 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 5: a difference between just the hood or a community. 172 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: The community. 173 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 3: You guys have been there for establishing men at times, 174 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 3: which is why I was very intriguing when I saw 175 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 3: these things going on. It says, this is interesting because 176 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 3: also I used to stay near the in the Chinatown area, 177 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 3: and I knew the area well, and I knew some 178 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 3: of the families that had matriculate to the school and 179 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 3: then you know, move over to play in the park. 180 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 3: I knew some of the parents there, and I knew 181 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 3: that this was brewing, but I didn't know the intensity 182 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 3: and how long this fight was going to be. And 183 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 3: also what you're mentioning too, you said that there was 184 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 3: not much of attention or any kind of conflict with 185 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 3: the landlord at the time, So I guess it's reasonably 186 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 3: to assume that things was going to take a very 187 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 3: reasonable ending that was not going to be just long 188 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 3: protracted affair, but then this became a long protracted affair. 189 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: So Alejandro, how do you feel about what's going on 190 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: right now? 191 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:51,439 Speaker 5: But it disappointed about councerer member uniss Tornando's because I. 192 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: Still used to city council members. 193 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 5: How come ANIX mention about hill City. You put in 194 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 5: this motion to acquire Hillsville, that the city could acquire 195 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 5: hills Avilla through Amine the Maine And we've been fighting 196 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 5: for that for these many years until last year that 197 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:15,959 Speaker 5: UNICS took over the city one council district, and now 198 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 5: we're in a situation of a very awful contract that 199 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 5: they want us to sign in order to continue living 200 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 5: there for ten years at the affordable brend that we 201 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 5: were paying before. So that party is really good. According 202 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 5: to the deal that the city and the lander made, 203 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 5: we're gonna pay the same trend that we were paying 204 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 5: before for ten more years. But I know we're going 205 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 5: to talk a little bit about the leases that they 206 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 5: want us to sign. But I am very disappointed, frustrated. 207 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 5: How come we came from trying to acquire a kill 208 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 5: Sevilla through Amine in the main to try to get 209 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 5: a fair leases for ten years. 210 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 3: Phoenix tells us a little bit about unises because I 211 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 3: think it's important to know where does she stand with this, 212 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 3: because that's a question I have for you that I 213 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 3: saw and I wanted to get a little bit of 214 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 3: verification on. 215 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:12,959 Speaker 6: Yeah. 216 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 4: So anisas Hernandez is the current council member for Council 217 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 4: District one, Chinatown, where Hillside Villa is is in Council 218 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 4: District one. Asas Hernandez was an organizer. She started OU 219 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 4: as an organizer, and so she ran for city council 220 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,839 Speaker 4: as an outsider. Before that, she had been done a 221 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 4: lot of criminal justice organizing. She started a nonprofit called 222 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:40,199 Speaker 4: La Defensa, which has been instrumental in trying to redistribute 223 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 4: money from car sooral solutions to other needs that people 224 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 4: have and everything like that. And for she's been instrumental 225 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 4: in the campaign to close Men's Central Jail. And again 226 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 4: she ran for city council as an outsider. She ran 227 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 4: against a very powerful incumbent named Gil Sidillo, and she 228 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 4: actually she unseated him in the primary, which is unheard 229 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 4: of in La You know, I think what's interesting in 230 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 4: terms of Hillside Villa is, Yeah, the Hillside vill attendants 231 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 4: had been protesting gil Cidio for a long time, and 232 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 4: you know, right before he put the eminent domain vote 233 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 4: on the agenda, they had protested outside his office on 234 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 4: the first day that city Hall reopened after covid started, 235 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 4: and on that same day she had actually tweeted in 236 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 4: support of eminent domain. And you know, if we haven't 237 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 4: been able to reach gil Cidio for common as to why, 238 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 4: you know, he did what he did in terms of 239 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 4: putting eminent domain on the agenda. But you know, the 240 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 4: timing is interesting because soon after eminent domain was on 241 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 4: the agenda and everything like that. And I'm sure Alejandro 242 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 4: can speak to this as well, but yet it definitely 243 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 4: seemed like anssis Hernandez was really you know, supporting the 244 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 4: tenants and she was going to like try to really 245 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 4: get you know, eminent domain or a solution that would 246 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 4: really help the tenants. 247 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 3: I was going to ask because there was something too 248 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 3: that was going on prior to the big horrible contract 249 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 3: that we're going to get to. I remember seeing that 250 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 3: there was something some deal was made behind the backs 251 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 3: of the tenants before the contract. There was another thing 252 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 3: that we need to talk about, am I missing this 253 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 3: when I'm wrong? 254 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: What was that about? 255 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, so publicly there was this eminent domain vote 256 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 4: and everything, and in the ensuing two years, Tom Botts 257 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 4: was negotiating a deal with the LA Housing Department, with 258 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 4: particularly the head of the LA Housing Department, her name 259 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 4: is Anne Sewell. So they actually negotiated this deal to 260 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 4: extend the covenants for ten years at the affordable rents 261 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 4: at the tenants we're already paying. What's interesting about that 262 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 4: is there was a similar deal that gil Sidio had 263 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 4: tried to negotiate, but it fell apart. There was a 264 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 4: lot of back and forth as to why it fell apart, 265 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 4: but yeah, this deal got reopened. Just a few months ago, 266 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 4: the LA Housing Department recommended that the city not go 267 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 4: forward with eminent domain. They said it would be too 268 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 4: expensive and it would be less expensive to pay Tom 269 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 4: Bot's fifteen million dollars to extend these covenants and everything 270 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 4: like that, and a Eunyssus Hernandez she got on board 271 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 4: with supporting that because she actually said she didn't have 272 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 4: the votes for eminent domain. So yeah, everything shifted to 273 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 4: this deal after that. 274 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 3: Was it true that she surreptitiously agreed the deal or 275 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 3: then because I heard a couple of rumblings that the 276 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 3: input from the tenants wasn't sought. 277 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: Was that correct? Do you have anything to add on it? 278 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: What do we know? 279 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 5: But the deal is that it was between the head 280 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 5: of Housing department at the time, anshol and the landlor 281 00:16:54,800 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 5: and we got an email from the city hall. The 282 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 5: supervisor Heldo Solis was asking about some evictions that were 283 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 5: happening at the time, and she knew the Lanyard and 284 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 5: city were in negotiations and those victions were for section 285 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 5: some Section eight tenants. So the reply was from the 286 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 5: Mayor's office that those were from Section eight that was 287 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 5: separated and she wanted to supervise her. Helder Soles wanted 288 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:29,679 Speaker 5: to know any update about what's going on, and right 289 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 5: that it says from Carmebus offices, all City one is 290 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 5: stepping aside. They're not gonna go in the negotiation. They 291 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 5: want the city attorney and ANSU or Housing department to 292 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 5: conduct this neglistation. So approximately two to three months after 293 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 5: Unicia Hernandez took over the District one, she didn't want 294 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 5: to negotiate with the lanner. She had the opportunity to 295 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 5: help us to have a good deal, but instead of it, 296 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 5: she just slifted to house in department and the legal 297 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 5: things to the city attorney. 298 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: So I don't know what else, like say. 299 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 3: It sounds very scary because the people that they are 300 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 3: including doesn't necessarily have your best interests at heart. But secondly, 301 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,120 Speaker 3: are not there to advocate for the equity for you, 302 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 3: but for only on the side of the landlord. But 303 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 3: that's just what it seems from from the outside. Look 304 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 3: at you, like I said, you know, it's just very concerning. 305 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 3: So from that, how did the tenants react to this? 306 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 3: Because I would be a bit appalled, a bit afraid, 307 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 3: for one, being a house on a fear of being 308 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 3: on house that would probably make me anxious. Because many 309 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 3: of the residents and tennants have families. That's another thing 310 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 3: that's or an advanced age or not in the best 311 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 3: of medical conditions that may need to be in these places. 312 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: So you know, how did they react to this? 313 00:18:54,920 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 5: Well, there were different reactions among the tenants, but basically 314 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 5: there are like two or three tenants who were influencing 315 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 5: the others, like, oh, Unesses is new, you know, we 316 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 5: need to give her more time. She has a female 317 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 5: she has Latina, she don't have much power. Myself, I 318 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 5: really wanted to go protest her since last year because 319 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 5: I could see that she was not doing nothing for us. 320 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,640 Speaker 5: But you know, we go by majority. Iorty said no, no, 321 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 5: until last Sunday we went to protest her. After two 322 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 5: years she's been in office. And I know, for some reason, 323 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 5: these two three tenants, I don't know how come they 324 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 5: became kind of friends or close to City one or unises, 325 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 5: but that was this kind of influence that refrained tenants 326 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 5: from like going to put pressure on cons remember her Nandez, 327 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 5: you know until now. That's kind of division that happened 328 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 5: at the time. But I think we solved it already 329 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:00,880 Speaker 5: and we they re united again. 330 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 3: Well that's wonderful to hear because sometimes it's like, even 331 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 3: in the in house community, we're not a monolift. So 332 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 3: of course no community is. And sometimes it seems that 333 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 3: some people are more invested in their own oppression due 334 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 3: to respectability politics, to internalized oppression, whatever it is to 335 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:22,640 Speaker 3: really have that Stockholm syndrome, if there's a word for that. 336 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 3: But moving to the question again to Phoenix, as this 337 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 3: is going on and trickling down now, it's this new 338 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 3: protest is a bigger explosion. It's a bigger conversation to 339 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 3: be had. And I want to talk about the contracts, 340 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 3: to talk about how problematic is this least because I 341 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 3: don't think we are taken the full time to appreciate 342 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 3: that this is going to be disastrous in many levels. 343 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 3: So could you give us some a thumbnails catcher on 344 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 3: how this is going to be? 345 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, So basically, the tenants where they wanted a contract 346 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 4: that would drop the evictions that Tombots currently has filed 347 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 4: against them, but the new contract actually allows Tombots to 348 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 4: evict the tenants if they break a number of rules 349 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 4: that have been written out in the agreement. 350 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: Such as give us an example. 351 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 3: I think it's important for us as residents and tennants 352 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:19,239 Speaker 3: to understand how dangerous this is. 353 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. 354 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 4: It ranges from like if they pay rent one day late, 355 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 4: which is like very very punishing. It's it ranges from 356 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 4: playing a radio in the common area. The rules they are, 357 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 4: they're very vaguely written, so they're very open to interpretation. 358 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 4: You know, they're like, oh, if you defame the landlord 359 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 4: and the property management, but what does that mean in 360 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 4: what forum? And everything like that Basically, it makes it 361 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 4: very easy for tombots to like revive any eviction case 362 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 4: against a tenant. And even more than that, like if 363 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,920 Speaker 4: the tenant gets evicted because they like so called, violated 364 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 4: this agreement that they had to sign in order to 365 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 4: get these affordable rents back, they are on the hook 366 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 4: for attorney fees. And the contract that I've seen estimates 367 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 4: the attorney fees to be almost thirty thousand dollars, which 368 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 4: like who can pay that and everything on top of 369 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 4: getting evicted and everything like that. You know, I talked 370 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 4: to a lawyer who had looked at this contract. He's 371 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 4: the one who had obtained the contract, and he was 372 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,199 Speaker 4: he was just he said, just from skimming it. He 373 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,159 Speaker 4: just thought it was like very unreasonable. And you know, 374 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 4: from some of the reporting I've done, the other lawyers 375 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 4: that are involved in this, you know, they say that 376 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,719 Speaker 4: they would not recommend that their clients sign something like this. 377 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 3: We'll be right back with more from our conversation with 378 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 3: Phoenix and Alejandro. 379 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Weedian Howse. 380 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 3: Today we're talking about residents fighting eviction at Hillside Villa. 381 00:22:57,560 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 3: We spoke with Phoenix, so, a journalist with loss at 382 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,959 Speaker 3: Public Press and all one hundreds a hillside villa resident. 383 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 3: Here's the second part of our conversation. How do you 384 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 3: feel about the contract? Do you feel comfortable with what's 385 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 3: been offered? 386 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 5: Not at all, Not at all, because, like Felix said, 387 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:22,680 Speaker 5: I mean, first of all, the negotiation or the deal 388 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 5: that the city made with the Tom Lanner Tom Bods 389 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 5: is that in order for him to extend the covenant 390 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 5: for actually it's going to be fifteen more years from 391 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 5: twenty nineteen to twenty thirty four, So from now until then, 392 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 5: it's ten more years. So in order for him to 393 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 5: extend the covenant until twenty thirty four, he's going to 394 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 5: receive fifteen million dollars in compensation for that. 395 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: And also there. 396 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 5: Is an original loan that they haven't paid since the 397 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 5: since the building was constructed, So it's about five and 398 00:23:55,960 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 5: a half million dollars that not a penny has been paid, interest, nothing, 399 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 5: and they extended that debt until twenty thirty for us well, 400 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 5: so it was even twenty million dollars for that. Now 401 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 5: they're giving him twenty million dollars, you know, cash to 402 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 5: preserve this affordable housing for ten more years, but also 403 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 5: given many tools that he could use to evict us 404 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 5: for any little thing. Like the evictions, They're not gonna 405 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 5: be dropped. They're gonna be like on hold for six years. 406 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 5: And that's one of the things that cut the attention 407 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 5: to these lawyers. They specialize on housing that they haven't 408 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 5: heard or seen seeing anything like this. How come an 409 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 5: eviction could stay there, you know for six years. 410 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: We need to explain a little bit. 411 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 5: We were in rend strike or we're in rent strike 412 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 5: for like twenty a half years now. In order for 413 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 5: us to get that benefit to pay the rent that 414 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 5: we were paying before, to go back to af affordable rent, 415 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 5: we need to pay that rent debt in six years 416 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 5: and with a three percent interest, so like in my 417 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 5: case is about four hundred dollars four hundred and fifty dollars, 418 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 5: and I need to pay a month extra every month. 419 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 5: The first of the month, I need to pay my 420 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,199 Speaker 5: regular rent, the one that I was paying before. But 421 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 5: on the fifteen of the month, I need to make 422 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 5: my payment for the rent debt. And if I miss one, 423 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 5: if I miss one payment, if I cannot pay on 424 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 5: the fifteen, but I am able to pay on the sixteen. 425 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 5: That's a reason where this landlord combots can use the 426 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 5: fction thing that isn't whole to go to before I 427 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,120 Speaker 5: judge and kick me out of the building. Plus the 428 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 5: landlord's attorneys feel like Phoenix said about thirty thousand dollars. 429 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 3: So what if people, say, example, are unfixed income that 430 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 3: don't have the financial like most people don't. I don't have, 431 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 3: you know, extra moneys to be giving out for extra rent. 432 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 3: But there's something that I want to do to talk 433 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,679 Speaker 3: about from the tenant level. When you mentioned that you 434 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 3: can't defame or sully his name, he can take action 435 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,160 Speaker 3: to get you out of there for them not doing 436 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 3: their job. That leaves them off the hook, but it 437 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 3: leaves you in a precarious situation to be abused, disrespected, 438 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 3: and harmed because you just have to accept. Like again, 439 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 3: like what they used to say with the in house community, 440 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 3: beckers can't be choosers. 441 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: You just have to just accept it. 442 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 3: But you guys live in a community and everyone looks 443 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 3: after each other and they want the best of the 444 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 3: resources to be available. But that can't happen if there 445 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 3: is something that needs to be done like you mentioned 446 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 3: that take a minute to get the things cleaned or repaired. 447 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 3: We have a storm or something is flooded, or if 448 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 3: something's collapseding in your house, you're just going to be 449 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 3: sitting in very illegal conditions because this person is put 450 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 3: this in his contract that you can't make a whimper 451 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 3: or you can get thrown out. I think that that's 452 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 3: to me, It's what I'm thinking as a tenant. I 453 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:10,919 Speaker 3: don't know, you mean, maybe I'm bringing too much into it, 454 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 3: but I. 455 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 5: Could give you a good example. In my building. It's 456 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 5: a four floor building plus two parkings, and we have 457 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 5: three elevators, two are together and then one single elevator. 458 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:27,439 Speaker 5: Three elevators were apparently they were renovated last year, and 459 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 5: for the last month, this single elevator has been broken 460 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 5: three times already, and they take three or four more 461 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 5: days to fix it, and sometimes in the past they 462 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 5: took like a month. 463 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: To fix it. 464 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 5: And I have a neighbor in the fourth floor. They 465 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 5: used the wheelchair, and that elevator is right next to 466 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 5: her door and leads to the parking, very close to 467 00:27:56,080 --> 00:28:00,360 Speaker 5: her car. So when the elevator is broken, she has 468 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 5: to go all the way around to the other tolevators 469 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 5: and then move all the way down to the parking 470 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 5: on the parkin to go to her car, very inconvenience 471 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 5: for her, and it takes that long to the learner 472 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 5: to fix it, so she cannot complain about anything because 473 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 5: like you said, the lender is going to feel like 474 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 5: attacked or offended or something that we cannot you know, 475 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 5: raise our voice to tell them this is wrong. 476 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:26,959 Speaker 1: Fix it. 477 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, And that to me it portends to be very 478 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 3: very concerning because in this wave a punitative, corrective kind 479 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 3: of actions that our society is being pushed into from 480 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 3: the elections and to how they're looking at on house 481 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 3: people and it's like this wave of injustice that we 482 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 3: are not to speak out because you've noticed that there 483 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 3: has been this active thing about woke or people protesting. 484 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 3: They use it as a denigrative kind of force to 485 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 3: sallence you to accept violence, accept injustice. And that is 486 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 3: concerning too. Really strikes a nerve, like you know, is 487 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 3: this is going to be things to come with other landlords, 488 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 3: other slum lords, other people that have taken property and 489 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 3: now that they got vulnerable people in to take their 490 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 3: money just to be quiet or to pimp them to 491 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 3: get more money, and they have no recourse. And this 492 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,479 Speaker 3: was wondering does this look like this is where this 493 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 3: is headache Phoenix? 494 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: What do you think? 495 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 4: Oh? Well, I mean I think you know, with the 496 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 4: contract that just came out, there's this fear that, you know, 497 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 4: if this were to go forward, and in the open letter, 498 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 4: the lawyers, you know, wrote that they had this fear 499 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 4: that this would open the door for other landlords to 500 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 4: do something similar. You know, I will say about Tom Botts, 501 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 4: the way he operates, the incidents I've heard and everything. 502 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 4: You know, they're not easy to hear about and everything 503 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 4: like that, but his behavior is pretty typical of a 504 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 4: landlord because you know, they're empowered to do stuff like this. 505 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 4: They're empowered to think of housing as profit, not as 506 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 4: you know, some place where people actually live. They're empowered 507 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 4: by the law to not be accountable to their tenants, 508 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 4: and they're empowered to retaliate if the tenants speak up 509 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 4: or anything like that. So, yeah, like what's happening to 510 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 4: the Hillside Villa tenants. You could say it's like one building, 511 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 4: but they're actually you know, their impact is that they've 512 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 4: shed light on how tenants are treated throughout LA and 513 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:40,479 Speaker 4: you know, they had a covenant protecting their rents for 514 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 4: thirty years. There are a lot of buildings in LA 515 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 4: like that, and there are a lot of buildings around 516 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 4: the country that are like that. You know, if you 517 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 4: want to go with a national figure, it's almost a 518 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 4: million apartment units that actually are in danger of having 519 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 4: their rent restrictions lost in the next ten years. Actually, 520 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 4: So that is all to say that they really shed 521 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 4: light on something that's happening to a lot of people, 522 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 4: not just in LA but around the country. And yeah, 523 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 4: if this contract were to go forward, who knows. I 524 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 4: can't really predict the future or anything like that, but 525 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 4: it's concerning for sure. 526 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 3: I was having a conversation with someone about the fact 527 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 3: how we are at this precipice of is this going 528 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 3: to go the most positive of ways or if this 529 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 3: is going to go back over another one hundred years 530 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 3: of injustice. And one of the things that was mentioned 531 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 3: is that the fact that it doesn't seem like after 532 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 3: all of this has happened, people have been successful in winning. 533 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 3: And Alexandra, I want to tell you where do we 534 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 3: go from this now that this is being out here 535 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 3: the protest, where do you see this going? 536 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 5: We're going to put the most pressure we could to 537 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,800 Speaker 5: comes member units or Nanda because she has the power. 538 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 5: She'd come back and negga negotiate with Tom Bods the 539 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 5: learner to improve this contract. She has that power because 540 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 5: if not, the learner cannot receive the fifty million dollars 541 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 5: the city has ready for him. I mean that's something 542 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 5: that she used to use for renegotiate. And I think 543 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 5: the problem here is that she assigned some members of 544 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 5: her staff to do this negotiation or to do this, yeah, 545 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 5: this contract because we found out that two persons from 546 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 5: her staff having involved on reducting this contract for us, 547 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 5: so they could have done better. So she needs to 548 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 5: go straight herself to do it better because unless she 549 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 5: doesn't care about her constituents, which you know, that's why 550 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 5: she has shown, she's acting the opposite that she presented 551 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 5: herself when she was in campaigned. She came to her 552 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 5: building to ask for our sport. She came to Chinatown 553 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 5: a couple of times to ask for our sport, and 554 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 5: we did. She she won't she beat kill Salil like 555 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 5: she said in the first round, And she presented herself 556 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 5: like she was gonna she is from the community that 557 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 5: she knows how people are struggling with the housing. I'm 558 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 5: gonna help you, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. 559 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 5: But at the end, she just done anything that, you know, 560 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 5: what she promised. So we're continuing putting pression on her 561 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 5: because we know she could do better for us for sure. 562 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 3: That right there is like indicative of where things are 563 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 3: in this conversation on housing, houses, security and in order 564 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 3: to maintain It's one thing to maintain housing when you're 565 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 3: in a financial discobobulation, but there's another thing when you 566 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 3: have places where we have a dearth of affordable housing, 567 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 3: our abilities to keep affordable housing, and we have greed, 568 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 3: and we have you know, lack of political will or 569 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 3: indifference to vulnerable people that could be potentially put on 570 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 3: the street. And then that's going to add on to 571 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 3: the housing a house crisis because we keep saying we. 572 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 1: Don't have enough housing. 573 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 3: Now with these covenant agreements coming to an end, this 574 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:21,359 Speaker 3: is going to be troubling for the country if we 575 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 3: don't put a stop to or aggressive effort to make 576 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 3: housing affordable and to make sure we don't have those 577 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 3: kind of concerts with Tom Botts exactly. 578 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 5: They need to prevent, they need to prevent homelessness. Yeah, 579 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 5: I know there is a big problem now with people 580 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:42,439 Speaker 5: living on the streets for whatever reason. Some people need 581 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 5: mental help, some people need addictions, help to come out 582 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:50,879 Speaker 5: of the addictions. But some people loast their job or 583 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 5: their income and they couldn't afford to continue paying Is 584 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 5: not that they're not that they are, but people they 585 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,240 Speaker 5: don't want to pay rent. Is that for some reason 586 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,720 Speaker 5: in their lives, when rown for a couple of months 587 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 5: and they couldn't pay the rent, they were evicted. And yeah, 588 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 5: like you said, I mean they need to be more 589 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,439 Speaker 5: aggressive to prevent homelessness. I think the problem with people 590 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,839 Speaker 5: living on the street, yeah, is very bad. But if 591 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 5: they want to control it, I think they need to 592 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 5: do this step first to try to prevent more people 593 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 5: go into the street. And maybe at the same time, yeah, 594 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:23,840 Speaker 5: try to bring these people to house. 595 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:25,240 Speaker 1: I mean to in house. 596 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,760 Speaker 3: But we also have what we always don't talk about, 597 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 3: and I'm going to take the opportunity the increasing houselessness 598 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 3: of elderly people. And that's one of the things because 599 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 3: most people really run to substant usage or mental health. 600 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,440 Speaker 3: As a person that didn't have these issues easier, but 601 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 3: on house we get ignored the other part of it. 602 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 3: Were also not talking about the high rates of unhoused 603 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 3: children that are in la USD. They just can't just 604 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 3: find a job. They're miners, they just can't get off drugs. 605 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:58,319 Speaker 3: They're not on drugs, they're just kids and they're just 606 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 3: in a bad situation. And we need to acknowledge that 607 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,919 Speaker 3: all of these things, like for example, in Hillside Villa, 608 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 3: there were kids that attended those schools. And if you 609 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 3: can continue to get a confluence of negative type of 610 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 3: leasing and environments that they cannot live in, they're going 611 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 3: to be unhoused. And they're going to be part of 612 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,800 Speaker 3: a new generation of unhoused people that we're going to 613 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 3: have to deal with either from the criminal justice standpoint 614 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 3: or from this thing standpoint that we are at now 615 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 3: in difference or pretending that they don't exist. 616 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, just to jump in there a little bit. Yeah, 617 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 4: there are seniors at Hillside Villa on fixed incomes. This 618 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 4: rent increase, they can't afford that at all. A lot 619 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 4: of the tenants have raised kids, are raising kids, they're 620 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,840 Speaker 4: members of the tenant Association, have grown up during this 621 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 4: fight and everything like that. So yeah, like I think 622 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 4: this story really brings to light like how vulnerable people 623 00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 4: are to becoming unhoused and everything like that. And I 624 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:04,760 Speaker 4: think I think you said this before that this story 625 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,280 Speaker 4: shows that this is quite an uphill battle to fight 626 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 4: your landlord, to fight the politicians like this. But I 627 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 4: think what's really inspiring about the Hillside Villa tendance is 628 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 4: that they've done it like really successfully. They really like 629 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,320 Speaker 4: put this at the forefront. They have raised awareness of 630 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,960 Speaker 4: eminent domain and everything like that. I mean, I don't 631 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 4: even know what would have happened if they hadn't, you know, 632 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 4: organized and become a tenant association and fought back. So 633 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 4: you know that there's that as well, is that they 634 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,799 Speaker 4: have accomplished so much and really challenged like how we 635 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 4: think about housing and what's acceptable and everything like that. 636 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 4: And they're holding, like Alehundra just said, you know, a 637 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 4: unissus Hernandez, you know, with this contract and everything. They're 638 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 4: holding to her to account for that contract, you know, 639 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 4: And that's that's the way they have a fighting chance 640 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 4: out of this. 641 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 3: And no one signed it, hopefully no one signed this 642 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 3: contract yet, which is great to because we're at a 643 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:04,280 Speaker 3: negotiating point at a pivotal point that things could change 644 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 3: for the better. And if without the conversation, without the 645 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 3: sustained reporting, the conferences, the protests and things with the 646 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 3: Hillside Villa and the Tennis Union, this conversation wouldn't have 647 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 3: been progressed even today. And it all connects with this 648 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:26,760 Speaker 3: housing insecurity, capitalism, but also this unnecessary explosion of reed 649 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 3: and aggressive method of silencing people that have been harmed. 650 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:34,560 Speaker 3: I think that's what's going on. We're in the seizing 651 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 3: of this and then these protests are really trying to 652 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 3: get people's attention to get out of the adultrums, but 653 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,399 Speaker 3: people are looking at it as a negative. They want 654 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 3: some want to stay in adultrums, and some just resent 655 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 3: that how dare you fight back? You know, when I 656 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:53,240 Speaker 3: came to this place or I was here with nothing, 657 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:56,359 Speaker 3: how dare you fight back and asks for equity and 658 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 3: be treated as a human. But we are trying to 659 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 3: show the humanity and the differences and the layers and 660 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:05,839 Speaker 3: textures of this conversation for people to help grasp it 661 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 3: in order to be able to change it. Did I 662 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:11,480 Speaker 3: miss anything? Is there anything that you guys wanted to add? 663 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 5: There is something that Okay, I told you that we 664 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 5: went to rent strike. We owe about twenty eight twenty 665 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 5: nine months of rent during the pandemic. You know, there 666 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,880 Speaker 5: was this era program from the government from the federal 667 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 5: to the states to distribute money to help pay rent. Right, 668 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 5: So at the time, we had to fill out an 669 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,320 Speaker 5: application on the tenant side and the landers had to 670 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 5: fill out their application. So when we flowed application, we 671 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:42,000 Speaker 5: put the rent that we were paying, and the landler's 672 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:44,800 Speaker 5: side he put the rent that he wanted to charge us. 673 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 5: So in my case, you received more than a thousand 674 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,879 Speaker 5: dollars extra every month for about twelve months or more, 675 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,880 Speaker 5: I think twelve to thirty months anyway, So he received 676 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,880 Speaker 5: that money for the rent that he was asking. Now, 677 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,800 Speaker 5: after they closed this deal with the city, the lander 678 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,280 Speaker 5: in the city, we're supposed to pay the rent continue 679 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 5: paying the rent that we were paying in twenty nineteen. 680 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 5: So it means that he received extra money and we 681 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:17,359 Speaker 5: were asking Conso remember Hernandez, that we could get that 682 00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 5: money that the lander got extra to credit credited to 683 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,920 Speaker 5: our debt. In my case, it would reduce my debt 684 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:30,800 Speaker 5: one year for sure, instead of owing twenty something months, 685 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:33,840 Speaker 5: I would I would or less than that, like almost 686 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 5: half of it what they told us they they're gonna 687 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 5: do or they're doing. That money that he got extra, 688 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 5: they're gonna deducted from the fifteen dollars million dollars that 689 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:50,239 Speaker 5: the city approved already. And my question is how the city, 690 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 5: the city can decide what to do with that money 691 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 5: that doesn't belong to them. It belongs It came from 692 00:40:56,719 --> 00:41:01,080 Speaker 5: the federal to the states, to the tenants. So the 693 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:04,760 Speaker 5: logical thing is that they would, I mean, the lander 694 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 5: would credit us for that money to our debt. But 695 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 5: they're saying, Okay, let's say the learner got and I'm 696 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 5: sure he got at least a million dollar extra during 697 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:19,320 Speaker 5: the pandemic. Now the city approved fifty million dollars already, 698 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 5: so they want to instead of give him the fifty millions, 699 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,280 Speaker 5: they're going to give him forty millions. That's an example. 700 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:28,120 Speaker 5: So the city is saving one million dollars and have 701 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:31,839 Speaker 5: aut tenets. We are struggling with this debt, and that's 702 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:33,959 Speaker 5: why I've been asking and. 703 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 3: They check that money and pay the debt of the exactly, 704 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,680 Speaker 3: I mean, doesn't make any sense exactly. And that's my question. 705 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:43,840 Speaker 3: That's the question that we've been asking Hernandez and doesn't 706 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 3: give us an answer why the city is deciding what 707 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,280 Speaker 3: to do with that money that doesn't belong to the city. 708 00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:54,400 Speaker 3: It came from the state. So I just wanted to 709 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 3: put this on the table because I think it's important. Yes, 710 00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,720 Speaker 3: I'm glad you did. Did we miss any saying Phoenix 711 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:00,920 Speaker 3: to you want to add anything? 712 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:01,160 Speaker 2: Oh? 713 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 4: Sure, I'll just ask really quickly, just in terms of 714 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 4: what you're saying. I think one thing that we the 715 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,280 Speaker 4: un House does really really well is, you know, showing 716 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 4: the importance of solidarity among people, especially between unhoused people 717 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 4: and house people. And I think I think the Hillside 718 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,680 Speaker 4: Villa Attendants show that as well, because you know, these 719 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:24,319 Speaker 4: systems are so powerful and entrenched, but if you have 720 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,600 Speaker 4: a lot of people fighting together against them, you know, 721 00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 4: you can accomplish some things, a lot of things that 722 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 4: I think the Hillside Ville Attenant Association really shows that 723 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,800 Speaker 4: how they organized and really became powerful because they fought 724 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,359 Speaker 4: this together. Yeah. Again, the podcast that I'm working on 725 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:43,960 Speaker 4: the Tenant Association is really going getting into that how 726 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 4: to do that. 727 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 3: Which brings up to when is it going to drop? 728 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 3: What is your episode going to drop? And I can 729 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:52,120 Speaker 3: direct my listeners to hear more on this too, because 730 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 3: this is such an pivotal and important conversation. Even with 731 00:42:55,239 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 3: the in house community, we need to understand how the 732 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:03,560 Speaker 3: sausage is made or how it gets made surreptitiously, and 733 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 3: look how we. 734 00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: Benefit or don't benefit from it. So I think that's important. 735 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, but yeah, we're working really hard on it. But yeah, 736 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:15,320 Speaker 4: the first episode should be out in mid September, everything 737 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:15,640 Speaker 4: like that. 738 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, I want to thank you guys for coming 739 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 3: in on such a hot day and also to take 740 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:25,360 Speaker 3: the time to tell the stories. And I hope this 741 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:29,240 Speaker 3: makes a better outcome for what's going on. And basically 742 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 3: it was a victory for that community. He'll side feeler. 743 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 1: Thank you guys for you Thank you. 744 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:36,880 Speaker 5: I just to say I would like to say something 745 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:39,719 Speaker 5: that we have a chance always in all the protests 746 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:43,600 Speaker 5: about the you know housing stuff, that is housing is 747 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 5: a human right and we should consider it and think 748 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:51,879 Speaker 5: about it, because human is a basic human right, just 749 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:56,920 Speaker 5: like education, just like having food on the table. And 750 00:43:56,960 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 5: it's important that we think about it because everybody's supposed 751 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,640 Speaker 5: to have a roof over the head, even if you're 752 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:06,800 Speaker 5: rich or poor. Nobody's supposed to live on the street 753 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:11,880 Speaker 5: on those conditions. Housing is a basic human right that 754 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 5: these rich, greedy people don't understand and they take it 755 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:19,400 Speaker 5: like a business, you know, to make money for them. 756 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 5: So sorry, yeah, I wanted to say that. 757 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:25,520 Speaker 1: Thank you very much, and thank you again Phoenix for 758 00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:26,399 Speaker 1: taking the time. 759 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:27,320 Speaker 4: Thanks so much. 760 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:33,200 Speaker 1: Thanks so much to Phoenix and Alejandro for that time. 761 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:35,719 Speaker 3: If you want to learn more about what's happening at 762 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:39,359 Speaker 3: Hillside Villa in Chinatown, go to La Public Press dot 763 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:43,919 Speaker 3: org and Hillside Villa ta dot org. When we come back, 764 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:46,400 Speaker 3: we're heading to Detroit, Michigan, where I tour at the 765 00:44:46,440 --> 00:45:02,640 Speaker 3: Heidelberg Project. Walking up to the Heidover Project in Detroit, Michigan, 766 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:05,920 Speaker 3: there were different times stamps and clocks painted all around 767 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:10,400 Speaker 3: the street. That's an o car, burnt out house, discarded, 768 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 3: burnt clothes and kids toys were strewn around the installation. 769 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 3: Seemed to imply that houselessness it's one burnt house away. 770 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:26,880 Speaker 3: Tyree Gutting is taking an artistic approach to fighting against eviction. 771 00:45:27,560 --> 00:45:30,239 Speaker 3: Mister Gutton is determined to use his time on Earth 772 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,719 Speaker 3: productive to raise awareness and let us know what time 773 00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:34,000 Speaker 3: it is. 774 00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:36,759 Speaker 1: Let's listen in on his views funy fiction. 775 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:41,359 Speaker 7: Tyree, my name Tree Dyke. 776 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:44,760 Speaker 6: I saw you doing there and I have been watching 777 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:47,240 Speaker 6: for lott using when people are from unfaying attention. 778 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:51,160 Speaker 7: Thank you voting, you got state beautiful? Okay, thank you 779 00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:55,719 Speaker 7: so much. Don't have a sitt Oh okay cool? So 780 00:45:55,719 --> 00:46:01,680 Speaker 7: I'm gonna make it very profession I'm Tyree. The founders, 781 00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:07,839 Speaker 7: the artists of this project, which is an over air 782 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:12,919 Speaker 7: all your exims, they together, what would you? Why did 783 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 7: you do it like here? 784 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:14,880 Speaker 8: Because, like I said, this. 785 00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:20,279 Speaker 3: Is worthy of the tastes of union papers. What you here? 786 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:22,120 Speaker 6: I went to art school, I grew up in that 787 00:46:22,239 --> 00:46:25,480 Speaker 6: house that through my love for your rights over there, 788 00:46:26,160 --> 00:46:26,959 Speaker 6: I grew up there. 789 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 7: And over time I'm witnessed the. 790 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:35,440 Speaker 6: Whole world change, the city, the church is changed. And 791 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:36,239 Speaker 6: I want to say this. 792 00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:39,480 Speaker 8: I was some time out of a tour, but I 793 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:44,239 Speaker 8: had a burning design in here to do something with 794 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:44,919 Speaker 8: right now. 795 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:47,120 Speaker 7: So don't you wow? 796 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,759 Speaker 3: And And as result of this, what is the message work? 797 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 3: Because I know that the interspersion of time. I know 798 00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 3: that you have time interwoven into your pieces. So when 799 00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 3: we talk little on that, because I'm curious on your 800 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:01,880 Speaker 3: insight on. 801 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:05,759 Speaker 8: That, well in the Book of Ecclesiastics, the third chaps 802 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:09,200 Speaker 8: its stakes in seven there's a time in the season 803 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:12,000 Speaker 8: for all and you look along here and. 804 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:16,080 Speaker 7: It's just the three blocks. 805 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:19,640 Speaker 6: And time was kind of like the focal point of 806 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:23,399 Speaker 6: this product because I'm talking about the time of the Wall. 807 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:27,879 Speaker 7: Our time here was creation and it gives me a chance. 808 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:29,759 Speaker 7: That's a very important question. What are we going to 809 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:35,640 Speaker 7: do with? What do we want to know? That's very tmperable. 810 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:38,000 Speaker 1: One thing that I noticed like that was pointing out 811 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:38,160 Speaker 1: to me. 812 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:39,279 Speaker 4: You had like. 813 00:47:40,880 --> 00:47:43,360 Speaker 3: There was a broken or burnt building over there, and 814 00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:46,800 Speaker 3: there was a stroller in there with I think the 815 00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:49,560 Speaker 3: toys and things of that nature there, And was there 816 00:47:49,560 --> 00:47:52,439 Speaker 3: a particular reason why did you put that in that position? 817 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:55,960 Speaker 3: Because like I noticed certain things like there was sperm shoes, 818 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:59,160 Speaker 3: and then they're noticed there was burnt out cars, and 819 00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:02,320 Speaker 3: then I noticed, like there's so many things that catches 820 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:04,840 Speaker 3: your eye. I can't enumerate them all for the listener, 821 00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 3: but we try to do the best you can. So 822 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:08,680 Speaker 3: what's your inspiration for that? 823 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,680 Speaker 6: Well, if you look over that house, the foundation wants 824 00:48:12,719 --> 00:48:16,440 Speaker 6: a house there, and someone perfectly set that house wi fire. 825 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:22,439 Speaker 6: And so I decided that I would take the advantage 826 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:25,879 Speaker 6: to let it and turn it into good. 827 00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:31,560 Speaker 7: You have to become the afterness of your life in 828 00:48:31,719 --> 00:48:34,279 Speaker 7: this creation, Uncail. It's your time. 829 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,759 Speaker 6: And if I sit here and I think about what 830 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:41,600 Speaker 6: you said, they got the baby downs downstairs and invasion 831 00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:42,200 Speaker 6: of our house. 832 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:46,560 Speaker 7: Sometimes you have to look deep down the side to 833 00:48:46,719 --> 00:48:49,759 Speaker 7: find out who you are. And that's what I'm doing 834 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:51,120 Speaker 7: with that household and everything. 835 00:48:51,200 --> 00:48:54,120 Speaker 8: Baby undone that plan and then we grew up in 836 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:57,120 Speaker 8: life and we forget the importance of life. 837 00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 3: You have to learn and have a good time, no 838 00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:03,360 Speaker 3: matter what's your certain step might find the joy and 839 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:07,680 Speaker 3: even the most artus of time. That wow. So I 840 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:10,840 Speaker 3: notice that you also have a voting center. There is 841 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:12,880 Speaker 3: there any message that you wanted in partner with that? 842 00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:14,040 Speaker 7: Particularly, I notice the. 843 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:17,279 Speaker 3: Clown page of Donald Trump with you know, I know 844 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:21,319 Speaker 3: that's like a pivot there, but I just definitely want 845 00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:23,239 Speaker 3: to throw that in to see what your insights on 846 00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:23,919 Speaker 3: that as well. 847 00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:28,440 Speaker 7: I would say, use your power. I would say, this 848 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:32,920 Speaker 7: election that's coming up here, I'm voting. Yeah, another afraid 849 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:34,319 Speaker 7: I'm voting for her. 850 00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:38,640 Speaker 6: I'm voting for her. I don't have enough of that 851 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:44,880 Speaker 6: clown And what else do you need so use your 852 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:48,400 Speaker 6: power on that day to go off there make difference 853 00:49:48,440 --> 00:49:51,640 Speaker 6: in the world because you have the power power to 854 00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 6: the people. 855 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:57,880 Speaker 1: Okay, right, I also wanted to went out too. 856 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:00,160 Speaker 7: It's like you mentioned that you was going to do this, we. 857 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:03,080 Speaker 3: Change it, will it be different like and once it 858 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:07,360 Speaker 3: changes because they're different, but will keep you basically the 859 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:10,440 Speaker 3: core of this inspiration or whether you change the instellation 860 00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:14,000 Speaker 3: completely to something different to cause people to think, or 861 00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 3: to keep this on a consistent type of thing. 862 00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:23,120 Speaker 6: I think that change is so important in its inevitabone. 863 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:28,320 Speaker 6: You change your direction, you change your mind, you change 864 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:32,720 Speaker 6: the way you see things, and change keeps you alive 865 00:50:33,719 --> 00:50:35,719 Speaker 6: because if your stay the same, you will die. 866 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:41,080 Speaker 7: Get here, I'm talking about change the way you see life. 867 00:50:41,640 --> 00:50:42,520 Speaker 1: One of the things. 868 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,320 Speaker 3: Also that it's apparent too, is to drive down that 869 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:48,440 Speaker 3: there's been more and more I think abandoned. 870 00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:50,839 Speaker 7: Or broken down building around here. 871 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:57,840 Speaker 3: That's things that there is. We are inflation period, particularly 872 00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:58,280 Speaker 3: in Detroit. 873 00:50:58,719 --> 00:50:59,600 Speaker 1: Is that am I seeing this? 874 00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:00,279 Speaker 7: Direct or? 875 00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:03,600 Speaker 1: Is this is something that is h maybe off the mar. 876 00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:06,960 Speaker 6: Well, yes, but you just said and has a lot 877 00:51:06,960 --> 00:51:10,560 Speaker 6: of truth to it. Everything must change and what want 878 00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:15,480 Speaker 6: is not today and so on. As we are changing 879 00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:20,920 Speaker 6: in time. The world seems to be getting smaller and smaller, 880 00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:26,239 Speaker 6: and dams never told that it was gonna stay in 881 00:51:26,239 --> 00:51:29,160 Speaker 6: the same So you see a lot of find instructions 882 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:31,640 Speaker 6: here and things of that nature. 883 00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 7: But it's changing, and it's changing. It's such such a 884 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:38,439 Speaker 7: way that we don't pay attention, we will miss out. 885 00:51:39,520 --> 00:51:43,240 Speaker 7: Government can't fix it for you. How to the people. 886 00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:48,279 Speaker 7: People's got to do. Yeah, well, mister Guidan, you've been 887 00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:49,200 Speaker 7: very gracious enough. 888 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:49,520 Speaker 6: Thank you. 889 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:55,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it does and like I say, this is very 890 00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:55,720 Speaker 1: very important. 891 00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:59,880 Speaker 3: I'm I'm glad that you spoke out and artistically is 892 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:02,280 Speaker 3: all in this purpolyg with beings to have a conversation. 893 00:52:02,680 --> 00:52:04,200 Speaker 7: And I wish you can success. 894 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:07,080 Speaker 1: And I find I'm back here hopefully I see something 895 00:52:07,120 --> 00:52:07,759 Speaker 1: else in this far. 896 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:09,080 Speaker 7: I want to leave this with you. 897 00:52:09,239 --> 00:52:15,239 Speaker 6: Yeah, Plato said, the time is a moving image of reality, 898 00:52:15,560 --> 00:52:17,040 Speaker 6: and I want to go back to something. You tell 899 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:22,279 Speaker 6: the house what's up here? He said, Plato, time is 900 00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:26,520 Speaker 6: a moving image of your reality. You have the creature over. 901 00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:31,759 Speaker 6: Government's not gonna do it, so thinking as you see, 902 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:33,920 Speaker 6: it's up to the people to do something about it. 903 00:52:34,840 --> 00:52:44,320 Speaker 1: Hell sir, thank you very much, thank you, thanks to 904 00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:45,480 Speaker 1: Tyree for his time. 905 00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:48,880 Speaker 3: Next week we're going to hear more on the topic 906 00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:52,760 Speaker 3: of evictions from the end house perspective, as I chronicled 907 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:56,880 Speaker 3: the major eviction that took place Friday, September sixth and 908 00:52:57,000 --> 00:53:01,880 Speaker 3: El Monte, California. And as always, please like and subscribe. 909 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:04,520 Speaker 3: If you'd like to share your story on Whedian House, 910 00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:07,480 Speaker 3: please reach out to me at Whidian House on Instagram 911 00:53:08,160 --> 00:53:12,719 Speaker 3: or email me at Wiedianhouse at gmail dot com. Thank 912 00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:16,600 Speaker 3: you again for listening, and may we again meet in 913 00:53:16,680 --> 00:53:21,759 Speaker 3: the light of understanding. Wheedian Howes is the production of iHeartRadio. 914 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:26,560 Speaker 3: It is written, posted, and created by me Theo Henderson, 915 00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:31,600 Speaker 3: our producers Jbie Loftus, Kailey Fager, Katie Fischal. 916 00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:32,560 Speaker 1: And Lyra Smith. 917 00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:36,279 Speaker 3: Our editor is Adam Wand and our logo art is 918 00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:37,680 Speaker 3: also by Katieficial. 919 00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:39,000 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.