[Originally posted on Mayor Sam 11/27/06]
You've heard ZD post and speak relentlessly on the topics of affordable housing requirements and tenant relocation rights pertaining to the Mayoral/Council-imposed condo-construction boom that is destroying the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the (soon to be) once great City of Los Angeles. It was one of the first issues I brought to the table on Mayor Sam (Sept. 6, 2006) thanks to the information provided to me by fellow watchdogg, and leader of this issue, Noel Weiss.
So much so, now even Steve Hymon has picked up on the issue in L.A. Times, months after the fact. But since all you get from City Council is a bunch of foot- dragging, diversionary cover-up tactics and "bottom-of-the-pile filing" on anything that takes money out of CC's coffers (and Wendy Greuel is the biggest culprit on this topic, which is why I have such disdain for her) I'M STILL F*CKING WAITING!!!
Council is making an attempt to look like they want to do something about this housing crisis, that is displacing lower-income and middle-income residents into the streets, due to lack of affordable housing in the City BECAUSE of all the luxury condos there seems to be such a demand for. Except there ISN'T such a demand for it, only a demand for the Mayor and City Council to have real estate developers contribute to their re-election campaigns. So the vacancy laws are ignored, and the steamrollers continue to roll.
SO HERE'S THE BOMBSHELL: Did you know that you may not do a condo-conversion unless there is more than a 5% vacancy rate in the area? It's true! THE LAW HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 1981!!!
However, Mayor Antonio Villarigrosa and YOUR Los Angeles City Council has this little game going where they pretend the law doesn't exist and they ignore this law. (Less than 5% means displaced tenants can't reasonably find anywhere else to live.)
AND GUESS WHAT Y'ALL...2.8% is the highest vacancy rate in the City (which is less than 5%), so there shouldn't be any condo conversions going on at all, y'all.
But too late now, all the money has been made, just in time for Council to start "looking into" enforcing this 1981 law (as March election season is approaching), but I'm sure Wendy Greuel will continue to do everything in her power to keep this little "vacancy" issue tied-up with debate and discussion until she is termed-out. (Herb Wesson, can you do something more about this? Because Zine, who was looking into it, passed the ball to Greuel and that's like having Foghorn Leghorn watch the chicken coop.)
(See http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2006/10/lets-do-something-about-these-pesky.html)
So, ZD says WE ARE going to get the affordable housing I've been screaming about on TV 35, Mayor Sam and KABC radio. It's called brand-new luxury condos that there is no demand for so prices will be forced to be slashed by the owners. Talk about vacancy rate...
[HELP ZD MAKE IT TO CITY HALL ON TUES. Donate at www.ZumaTime.com. Otherwise, CC gets a pass and ZD gets the day off.]
Official Website of Zuma Dogg
