Tenants’ rights come first. Our system is broken and it is beyond time that we take meaningful action. Evictions put people on the street faster than we can house them, especially now with "efficiently ruthless" corporate landlords. The eviction process is stacked against renters and results in too many renters being displaced. Jillian will push to protect renters by expanding rent stabilization, implementing universal just cause protections and ensuring our right to counsel program is properly funded. In order to protect renters, Jillian will establish a rental registry to effectively address rents in our communities.

The next District 2 Councilmember will vote on updates to the Southeast Valley Community Plan, the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP), and other planning efforts that shape our backyards. We need to build more housing and transit-oriented communities with safe streets, building infill housing near transit, amenities, and community resources. Imagine a city where you can walk to the laundromat, grocery store, or your favorite restaurant.

The City needs to properly fund the LA Housing Department to enforce the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance. While the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance prohibits landlords from harassing tenants by "actions such as removing housing services, withholding repairs or refusing to accept rent payments," an ordinance is only as strong as its enforcement. Currently, The LA Housing Department is under-resourced to do their jobs in that capacity. Jillian would prioritize aggressive resourcing of the LAHD, understanding that their budget should reflect a growing, not stagnant, population. Her office would deploy a dedicated staff member to accompany the LAHD on inspections. Other Council Members have already done this to great effect, and there is no reason to ignore a process that already works.

We must reform the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) and lower the percentage of potential rent increases. The RSO requires landlords to provide a reason to evict a tenant; they cannot do so arbitrarily, and they cannot force a tenant out simply to sell the unit. Furthermore, if the landlord wishes to renovate or legally clear the unit for a family member, they are obligated to provide relocation assistance. There is no reason for this to be limited to properties that exist under the RSO. This must be applied universally.

Tenants need a Right To Counsel. Tenants are already at a power disadvantage with their landlords, and navigating the eviction process often results in renters being forced out of their homes simply because the system is stacked against them. Universal access to legal services has been successful in other cities at keeping renters housed and Jillian will work to establish this for all renters. New York City has already provided Universal Access to Legal Services, and the results have been wildly successful: over 80% of households with legal representation were able to remain in their homes. We should take from their example and utilize their very simple process to help renters in need.

The City must aggressively enforce the law against illegal Airbnbs. As many as two-thirds of Airbnbs across LA operate illegally. That removes housing stock from long-term tenants. However, in 2022, the City has only issued two fines to illegal operators. This is unacceptable. To address this, Jillian’s office will seek aggressive changes to the LA Housing Department’s budget and staffing levels to ensure that our housing capacity is not reduced by Airbnbs that flout the law.