LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, on International Tenants Day, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez announced new data showing that evictions in Council District 1 have declined at more than twice the rate of the city as a whole — dropping 10% in the last two years compared to just 4% citywide. This progress builds on Councilmember Hernandez’ successful efforts to strengthen the Los Angeles’ Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO) — and on the heels of her office securing the first-ever Administrative Citation (ACE) against an abusive landlord and setting a citywide precedent for accountability.
At 202 N. Avenue 52 in Highland Park, working-class tenants who have lived in their homes for over two decades faced an onslaught of harassment from a new landlord — unauthorized entries, false permit filings, defying stop-work orders, even armed guards sent to intimidate families – all in efforts to flip the property in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
After months of work by District 1’s Tenant and Housing Deputy — filing detailed complaints, translating documents, and conferring with the Housing Department and the City Attorney — the tenants achieved a historic victory: the first-ever ACE citation under TAHO was issued on August 4, 2025, with the landlord fined for harassment and violations. The City Attorney also filed 26 criminal charges, with more cases in preparation.
“We were only successful because we worked together — the Los Angeles Tenants Union taught us our rights and helped us organize, and the Councilmember’s office moved with us, not above us,” said Mario Torres, a lifelong Highland Park resident and 30-year tenant of the building. “Their tenant deputy walked me through permits, helped us navigate REAP, and stood with us every step of the way. That kind of proactive partnership is what every councilmember should be doing: working alongside tenants and organizers to hold landlords accountable.”
The Highland Park case is just one example of a broader strategy. District 1 is one of the few council offices with staff dedicated to assisting tenants, who not only manage cases but also canvass tenants directly, check in on families who receive eviction notices, and connect them with legal and financial resources. Just in the past year, the office has distributed more than $100,000 in rental assistance to keep families stably housed.
"Los Angeles is a city of renters, and on International Tenants Day, I want our constituents to know that in CD1, we are fighting for you,” said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. “We’ve achieved one of the largest drops in evictions in all of Los Angeles because we meet tenants where they are: at their doors, in their neighborhoods, and in their homes. It is far more effective – and far less expensive – to keep families in their homes than to try to get them back on their feet after they’ve been displaced.”
Most recently, Councilmember Hernandez introduced a motion to establish temperature thresholds in rental housing — ensuring tenants aren’t forced to endure extreme heat in their homes without protections. She has also been a leading voice to update the City’s 45-year-old Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO) and cap rent increases at 3%.
“Councilmember Hernandez’s dedication to safeguarding the rights of tenants in her district — and across the city — has shielded thousands of Angelenos from unlawful and unfair evictions,” said Cynthia Strathmann, Executive Director of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE). “SAJE is thankful to have a leader in council who understands tenant protections are a critical component in preventing homelessness and preserving affordable housing, and we value her partnership tremendously."
Tenant defense has been paired with record progress in affordable housing production. In just four years, CD1 has increased the number of affordable housing units completed by 699%.
“Our job is twofold: stop the bleeding by protecting tenants from eviction, and build the affordable housing we desperately need,” Councilmember Hernandez continued. “These numbers prove that when we invest in tenants, we keep people in their homes, stabilize families, strengthen neighborhoods, and break the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline once and for all.”