Care-First Policies

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Immigration and Public Safety

Designating Los Angeles as a Sanctuary City
Councilmember Hernandez helped formally designate Los Angeles as a Sanctuary City, prohibiting City personnel, property, or resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement purposes

Strengthening Accountability in Immigration Enforcement
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation requiring the LAPD to verify the identity of any individual claiming to be a law enforcement officer during enforcement actions, including federal immigration agents in plainclothes or unmarked vehicles. This step addresses growing concerns about impersonation, masked agents, and a lack of transparency, thereby strengthening accountability, due process, and community trust in public safety.

Standing Against Covert Law Enforcement Operations
Councilmember Hernandez passed a resolution supporting Senate Bill 627, the “No Secret Police Act,” which would prohibit law enforcement from covering their faces while conducting operations in the state of California and require officers to be identifiable by their uniform, whether by name or other identifier. This move reinforces the City’s stance that masked or covert enforcement cannot operate unchecked in our communities.

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Housing and Homelessness

Keeping Families Housed During Rental Assistance Processing
Councilmember Hernandez amended the Municipal Code to make sure tenants who applied for United to House LA Emergency Rental Assistance could remain in their homes while waiting for their aid to be processed. By making the protections retroactive, renters who applied before the ordinance took effect were still protected. This helped keep families housed and put a dent in the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline.

Preserving Rent Stabilized Housing from Demolition
Councilmember Hernandez paused permits for projects that would demolish five or more occupied rent-stabilized units in Council District 1. This urgent measure buys time to develop permanent protections that go beyond state replacement and right-of-return requirements. It safeguards tenants and preserves affordable homes from speculative redevelopment.

Establishing the Right to Counsel for Tenants
Councilmember Hernandez created a Right to Counsel Program to provide free legal representation for tenants facing eviction or termination of their subsidy. Eligibility is set at up to 80% of the Area Median Income, with priority given to residents in designated zip codes. It requires landlords and housing authorities to notify tenants of this right in their primary language, include a notice with eviction filings, and post it in common areas. Tenants can use a landlord’s failure to comply as a defense in court.

Expanding ULA Social Housing Financing Tools
Councilmember Hernandez directed city departments to study financing tools that support Measure ULA’s goals of permanent affordability and resident governance. The report will examine financial tools and policy updates that enable low- and moderate-income residents to achieve homeownership—laying the groundwork for community-led, sustainable social housing.

Strengthening Tenant Anti-Harassment Protections
Councilmember Hernandez strengthened the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO), which makes it illegal for landlords to intimidate tenants out of their homes. The amendment restored key protections, allowing harassment to be used as a defense in eviction cases, enabling tenants to secure damages for emotional distress, and imposing triple penalties with a minimum of $2,000 per violation. This win deters bad-faith actors and highlights the importance of community voices in shaping housing policy.

Protecting Neighbors from Law Enforcement Impersonators
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation to increase penalties for impersonating public safety officers and affirming the right to request and receive proof of identity and legal authority during any enforcement or detention interaction—safeguarding civil rights and addressing the fear caused by repeated unauthorized and unverified federal immigration enforcement actions.

Capping Rents Hikes for 650,000 Households
Councilmember Hernandez helped pass the first major update to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance in 40 years, which capped rent hikes at 4% and eliminated extra fees for utilities and new children. This reform protects 650,000 renter households from destabilizing housing costs, keeping roofs over heads and leaving more money in pockets for groceries, medicine, and the daily costs of raising a family.

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Transportation and Public Works 

Securing Evacuation Routes with Red Flag Parking Restrictions
Councilmember Hernandez created new “Red Flag Day” parking restrictions in hillside neighborhoods of Montecito Heights, Glassell Park, and Mt. Washington. The Fire Department surveyed Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and the Department of Transportation installed signage. This keeps evacuation routes clear and ensures faster emergency response during high fire risk days.

Uplifting Indigenous Culture with Maya Corridor Gateway
Councilmember Hernandez secured funding to complete the Maya Corridor along 6th Street in Westlake, adding gateway monuments, cultural signage, new trees, and decorative intersections. The 0.8-mile project honors the Maya community in Los Angeles, reflects years of collaboration with a Community Advisory Board and cultural experts. This investment delivers long-awaited public space improvements while uplifting Indigenous heritage and community identity.

Prioritizing Neighborhood Impacts with Dodger Stadium Traffic Study
Councilmember Hernandez suspended advancement of the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (gondola) project until a new traffic study is completed. The study will assess impacts on Dodger Stadium and the surrounding neighborhoods and evaluate intersection performance and mitigation. This ensures decisions are based on facts and protects communities from unchecked development.

Expanding Support for Sidewalk Vendors
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation to create an interactive map showing where sidewalk vending is permitted in Council District 1 and to launch listening sessions with vendors. City departments will gather input directly from street vendors and report back with recommendations to improve policies, programs, and services.

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Planning and Land Use

Protecting Schools from Toxic Emissions
Councilmember Hernandez paused the construction of large warehouse and distribution centers — those over 15,000 square feet — in the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Plan (CASP) area. This pause will remain in place until updated land-use rules are adopted, ensuring that any future projects go through stronger public review. This action gives Chinatown, Lincoln Heights, and nearby neighborhoods important short-term protections while the City works to create long-term plans that put community health, housing, and environmental justice first.

Closing Gaps in Brownfield Protections
Too often, contaminated land is located near homes, schools, and parks in working-class neighborhoods and communities of color. Councilmember Hernandez closed this dangerous gap by creating a clearance process with state and federal agencies, updating City databases like ZIMAS to flag brownfield sites early, and assessing how the City manages its own contaminated properties. This strengthens environmental guardrails and makes sure that community voices are included in cleanup and redevelopment.

Strengthening Oversight of Oil Well Redevelopment
More than 1.7 million Angelenos live near the city’s 5,000 active, idle, or abandoned oil wells, putting them at risk of methane leaks, benzene exposure, and spills. Councilmember Hernandez strengthened oversight by soliciting a report with recommendations to close enforcement gaps, set land-use and remediation standards, require methane monitoring, update ZIMAS with safety advisories, hold developers accountable, and integrate community input into redevelopment.

Standardizing Fire Safety for Hillside Housing
Councilmember Hernandez helped advance legislation requiring all hillside neighborhoods—including Northeast Los Angeles, Silver Lake, and Echo Park—to follow the same fire safety standards for ADUs and Junior ADUs in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. By mandating sprinklers, off-street parking, and adequate road widths, the ordinance ensures responsible development that meets housing needs while protecting residents and firefighters from preventable disasters.

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Government Reform, Transparency, and Accountability
 

Increasing Public Participation in the City Budget Process
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation to study what it would mean for Los Angeles to adopt a two-year budget cycle. The report will include recommendations, a proposed timeline, and ways to increase public participation. This sets the stage for a more proactive budget process that gives Angelenos a more decisive say in how taxpayer money is used.

Securing Independent Funding for the City Ethics Commission
Councilmember Hernandez put forward legislation to make sure the City Ethics Commission has stable funding every year, instead of depending on the ups and downs of the budget process. It looks at models where departments, such as the Los Angeles Library and Recreation and Parks, receive funding through a set formula. This is about accountability in City Hall and ensuring the Ethics Commission has the independence and resources it needs to do its job effectively.

Improving Fiscal Transparency with Digital Budget Tools
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation to update the City’s digital budget tools, allowing Angelenos to better see how their tax dollars are being invested. The motion calls for a report on existing platforms and recommendations to add surveys, data visualization, and other online tools that make budget information more accessible.

Including Student Voices in the Independent Redistricting Commission
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation to make sure young people have a seat at the table in the new LAUSD Independent Redistricting Commission going before voters this November. The Youth Development Department, together with LAUSD and community groups, will design a framework for how students can take part. With over 400,000 students impacted by redistricting, this step makes sure their voices are included in shaping the future of their schools.

Creating Equitable Access to City Jobs
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation to make it easier for people to qualify for City jobs by allowing work experience to count in place of a college degree in many cases. The goal is to widen the applicant pool, speed up hiring, and create more equitable access to City employment.

Building an Inclusive Workforce through Visa Support
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation calling for a review of hiring policies to ensure that qualified applicants who require visa support can be considered. This opens opportunities, addresses job shortages, and makes the City’s workforce more inclusive.

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Animal Welfare

Increasing Pet Adoptions by Waiving Fees
Councilmember Hernandez amended the Municipal Code to allow the Department of Animal Services to waive adoption and redemption fees for animals in City shelters. By removing these cost barriers, the ordinance makes it easier for families to adopt pets and for owners to reclaim lost animals. This reduces overcrowding in shelters and supports more humane outcomes across Los Angeles.

Supporting Animal Fosters with Financial Stipends
Councilmember Hernandez advanced legislation directing the Department of Animal Services to report on the City’s foster program, including the number of volunteers and animals that participated in 2023. It also requests recommendations on establishing a stipend program to support foster volunteers, including details on costs, structure, and best practices. This advances our commitment to easing shelter overcrowding and improving animal well-being.