Guiding Questions for Researchers and Creators Interested in Working with CCED:
- How is your research or creative work centering working class community and communities of color in Chinatown? What does that look like?
- What is the long term impact of your research or creative work? How do you see it informing/supporting CCED, progressive grassroots organizing, and efforts for systematic change?
- Can your work be easily understood by non-academics?
- How accessible is your work to the community you are focused on (e.g. language, digital vs. physical, distribution)?
- What are your plans for sharing, distributing, or disseminating your work?
- What will you be doing to support the community and anti-displacement efforts once you finish your research or creative work?
Cite as: Chinatown Community for Equitable Development. “Resources for Researchers and Creators.” Accessed [date] http://www.ccedla.org/resources.html.
- Contrary to popular perception, Los Angeles Chinatown is not an ethnic enclave: the neighborhood is highly diverse, with a population that is roughly two-thirds Asian and one-third Latinx.
- Chinatown is one of the lowest-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles, with a median household income of under $20,000.
- 94% of housing in Chinatown is renter-occupied.
SELECTED RECENT & ONGOING SITE FIGHTS
We do not want to have to worry about rents being raised to market-rate in 5 or 10 years; we do not think a heartless and unaccountable landlord like Thomas Botz should be profiting off of subsidized housing; and we strongly believe that working-class tenants of color like us deserve to stay in Chinatown, permanently.
Hillside Villa is a 124-unit multifamily apartment building in Los Angeles Chinatown. In 2018, tenants in the building—predominantly working class Latinx and Chinese people—were given massive rent increases by their landlord, Thomas Botz. These increases, which ranged from 150% to 300%, came at a time when the building’s 30-year affordable housing covenant was set to expire at the end of 2018. Some families’ rent, which had held steady at $850 for years, were set to increase to $2450.
These de facto evictions by rent increases were spurred on by Botz’s logic that he is “simply executing his right to begin earning a full return on his investment,” by raising rents to market-rate, and that “the bottom line is, when you’re renting to people below market, the building doesn’t generate enough income to support itself.”
In response to these massive and unjust rent increases, Hillside Villa tenants formed a tenant association, The Hillside Villa Tenants Association (HSVTA), with the assistance of CCED, Los Angeles Tenants Union, and Democratic Socialists of America. In March 2019, HSVTA tenant leaders organized a march throughout the neighborhood, calling for an end to the rent increases and a guarantee of continued affordability in the building.
Tenants argued that the fight was about more than just money. Hillside Villa is about community: a building where many Chinese and Latinx residents and their families have lived for generations—upwards of 20 and 30 years—and formed a deep sense of community across racial, ethnic, and linguistic barriers. Botz’s actions would effectively destroy this community in the name of profit.
In July 2019, City Councilperson Gil Cedillo and landlord Thomas Botz, working with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, announced that they had reached an agreement to maintain affordability in Hillside Villa for another ten years. The terms of the deal were that the City of Los Angeles would pay Botz millions of dollars to subsidize his proposed rent increases for a decade, and preserve the affordability of the building.
Only weeks after this deal was announced, with all the flair of photo-ops and handshakes, Botz reneged on the deal—which had never been written down or signed—and issued 5.5% rent increases to the tenants, effective September 2019. Clearly an attempt to squeeze more money out of the city, this move represents a big setback for tenants, who are beginning to feel a deep fatigue after fighting to stay in their homes for more than one year. In one news report, eight-year Hillside tenant Rosa Hernandez is quoted as saying: “I’m tired—we are all tired. I feel like it’s enough. Give us our home back."
Current attempts to mitigate the rent increases now hinge on eminent domain. The tenants now want the city to claim the property via eminent domain and render it permanently affordable. Sign petition here!
These de facto evictions by rent increases were spurred on by Botz’s logic that he is “simply executing his right to begin earning a full return on his investment,” by raising rents to market-rate, and that “the bottom line is, when you’re renting to people below market, the building doesn’t generate enough income to support itself.”
In response to these massive and unjust rent increases, Hillside Villa tenants formed a tenant association, The Hillside Villa Tenants Association (HSVTA), with the assistance of CCED, Los Angeles Tenants Union, and Democratic Socialists of America. In March 2019, HSVTA tenant leaders organized a march throughout the neighborhood, calling for an end to the rent increases and a guarantee of continued affordability in the building.
Tenants argued that the fight was about more than just money. Hillside Villa is about community: a building where many Chinese and Latinx residents and their families have lived for generations—upwards of 20 and 30 years—and formed a deep sense of community across racial, ethnic, and linguistic barriers. Botz’s actions would effectively destroy this community in the name of profit.
In July 2019, City Councilperson Gil Cedillo and landlord Thomas Botz, working with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, announced that they had reached an agreement to maintain affordability in Hillside Villa for another ten years. The terms of the deal were that the City of Los Angeles would pay Botz millions of dollars to subsidize his proposed rent increases for a decade, and preserve the affordability of the building.
Only weeks after this deal was announced, with all the flair of photo-ops and handshakes, Botz reneged on the deal—which had never been written down or signed—and issued 5.5% rent increases to the tenants, effective September 2019. Clearly an attempt to squeeze more money out of the city, this move represents a big setback for tenants, who are beginning to feel a deep fatigue after fighting to stay in their homes for more than one year. In one news report, eight-year Hillside tenant Rosa Hernandez is quoted as saying: “I’m tired—we are all tired. I feel like it’s enough. Give us our home back."
Current attempts to mitigate the rent increases now hinge on eminent domain. The tenants now want the city to claim the property via eminent domain and render it permanently affordable. Sign petition here!
920 Everett is a non-rent-controlled six-unit apartment building in Los Angeles Chinatown, and the tenants are Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Thai refugees and migrants to the US. In July 2019, the landlords—a mom-and-pop Chinese family that lives in the San Gabriel Valley—sold the building to American Collateral Buyers, LLC, a Los Angeles-based real estate corporation, for several million dollars.
Almost immediately, American Collateral Buyers issued 60-day eviction notices to all tenants in the building. The eviction notices are part of a strategy for the corporation to start making a return on investment for their purchase of the building; in real estate language, American Collateral Buyers was attempting to achieve the advertised “upside potential of 120%.”
Since the building was naturally occurring affordable housing, as the previous landlord had voluntarily kept the rents low and stable for the working class and retired tenants, there were no legal protections in place for the tenants to maintain their rent levels.
With the assistance of CCED, tenants quickly organized and began strategizing for a way to stay in their homes. After several rounds of protests and direct actions at the new landlord’s home (and no shortage of threats from their lawyers), tenants succeeded in drawing media attention to their situation and fighting off two 60-day eviction notices.
Thanks to the negative media attention, American Collateral Buyers gave up trying to harass and evict the tenants, and put the building up for sale. As of January 2020, 920 Everett has been re-sold to VF Developments; the advertisement again claimed an “upside potential of over 120%.” On February 13th, the new owners served 920 Everett tenants a 60 day eviction notice, citing “substantial remodeling,” a loophole in the state rent control law. Even a member of the LA City Council admitted - “It is clear that landlords are using this loophole to get around the protections intended for renters under AB1482.” Sign petition here!
Almost immediately, American Collateral Buyers issued 60-day eviction notices to all tenants in the building. The eviction notices are part of a strategy for the corporation to start making a return on investment for their purchase of the building; in real estate language, American Collateral Buyers was attempting to achieve the advertised “upside potential of 120%.”
Since the building was naturally occurring affordable housing, as the previous landlord had voluntarily kept the rents low and stable for the working class and retired tenants, there were no legal protections in place for the tenants to maintain their rent levels.
With the assistance of CCED, tenants quickly organized and began strategizing for a way to stay in their homes. After several rounds of protests and direct actions at the new landlord’s home (and no shortage of threats from their lawyers), tenants succeeded in drawing media attention to their situation and fighting off two 60-day eviction notices.
Thanks to the negative media attention, American Collateral Buyers gave up trying to harass and evict the tenants, and put the building up for sale. As of January 2020, 920 Everett has been re-sold to VF Developments; the advertisement again claimed an “upside potential of over 120%.” On February 13th, the new owners served 920 Everett tenants a 60 day eviction notice, citing “substantial remodeling,” a loophole in the state rent control law. Even a member of the LA City Council admitted - “It is clear that landlords are using this loophole to get around the protections intended for renters under AB1482.” Sign petition here!
What are affordable housing covenants?
Affordable housing covenants are contractual agreements between landlords and governmental entities to maintain a certain defined level of affordability in a rental apartment building. In Los Angeles, these covenants--many of which originate from the 1980s--are often set to last for 30 years. During the period of the covenant, the government will subsidize the landlord for keeping affordable housing units in the apartment. After the covenant expires, then the landlord is allowed to raise the rent on their apartment units up to market rate.
Why do they matter?
Los Angeles Chinatown has a high concentration of affordable housing covenants. As these covenants continue to expire over the next several years, more and more Chinatown tenants will be faced with de facto eviction via rent increase, as occurred at Hillside Villa.
How can I find more information about affordable housing covenants?
CCED has identified several Chinatown apartment buildings with affordable housing covenants set to expire soon. Identifying and verifying covenant buildings is an ongoing research need for CCED. If you would like to assist, please fill out our volunteer form and indicate your interest in helping us with this research project.
Affordable housing covenants are contractual agreements between landlords and governmental entities to maintain a certain defined level of affordability in a rental apartment building. In Los Angeles, these covenants--many of which originate from the 1980s--are often set to last for 30 years. During the period of the covenant, the government will subsidize the landlord for keeping affordable housing units in the apartment. After the covenant expires, then the landlord is allowed to raise the rent on their apartment units up to market rate.
Why do they matter?
Los Angeles Chinatown has a high concentration of affordable housing covenants. As these covenants continue to expire over the next several years, more and more Chinatown tenants will be faced with de facto eviction via rent increase, as occurred at Hillside Villa.
How can I find more information about affordable housing covenants?
CCED has identified several Chinatown apartment buildings with affordable housing covenants set to expire soon. Identifying and verifying covenant buildings is an ongoing research need for CCED. If you would like to assist, please fill out our volunteer form and indicate your interest in helping us with this research project.
