urban land reformaction research for power, people, and

possibilities

SAJE’s mission is to impact public and

corporate policy in a manner that:

Provides concrete economic benefits to working class people,

Increases the economic rights of working class people, and

Builds leadership through a movement

for economic justice

In the process,

SAJE creates models of economic democracy that are replicable and sustainable.

Rich City, Poor City

Rich City

Staples CenterBillionaire Phillip Anschutz, owns:Qwest communications empire7 professional soccer teamsL.A. Kings hockey franchise,25% of L.A. LakersSports arenas: L.A., London, Berlin

10,000 downtown loftsAverage tenant earns $100,000 year

University of Southern CaliforniaL.A.’s largest private employerOwns 200 properties off campus$2 billion endowment

Poor City

Downtown HomelessThousands live on the street,5-7,000 in residential hotels

L.A.’s Worst SlumlordsOldest housing 50-100 yearsBoom makes slum conditions worse

200,000 working class peopleMost are poor – median incomeis less than half of the city’s.86% are renters74% Latino12% African-American 5% Asian

The Promise Redevelopment & Renewal

2001 “Staples Agreement”

• 2,700 living wage & union jobs

• local hiring• affordable housing• parks & recreation

• 300 tenants• 30 community organizations

• 5 unions

The ProblemDisplacement & Gentrification

2002-2005

• Property values skyrocket

• Illegal evictions

• Slum conditions increase

• Displacement

Community Response

• Tenant organizing & education

• Legal defense

• Policy campaigns

Long-Term GoalsAn Urban Land Reform Strategy

• Criminalize Slumlords

• Redevelopment Reform

• Universal Tenants’ Rights

• Land for People

• Build SAJE

Criminalize Slumlords

• “Big Fish” strategy

• Increase fines & penalties

• Felonies for worst offenders

• Abatement, receivership, forfeiture

DanpourNetwork

Universal Tenants Rights in California

• Consolidate local & regional allies

• Build statewide alliances

• Legislative strategy

Saje Network

Saje NetworkCore

Redevelopment Reform

• No Net Loss housing policy

• Preserve residential hotels

• Build replacement housing up front

• Extended relocation benefits

• Local hiring and training

Land for PeopleFigueroa Corridor Community Land Trust

Partners:

• SAJE

• Figueroa Corridor Coalition for Economic Justice

• Los Angeles Community Design Center

• Enterprise Foundation

• Esperanza Community Housing Corporation

cecilia’s house

OUR AGENDA• Preserve Affordable Housing• Create mixed communities & use• Improve quality of life for existing/remaining low-income tenants• Prevent & mitigate displacement to extent possible• Build higher density housing• Take land off market

OUR AGENDA• Buy low, sell high• “Milk it”• Profit maximize• Downtown “revitalization”• Cheap jobs• Displacement @ lowest possible costs• Mega Development

10Critical to our success – MUST HAVE!

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DIE

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Inclusionary

Zoning

H.E.R.E. EC Fight minor

Growth w/ Justice

CIR

INS Raids

ElectionsNov/March

FootballBaseballStadium

Gentrification – Mega Development

Gentrification – Mega Development

Housing

Shortage

Crisis

Housing

Shortage

Crisis

State fiscal crisis – no public resources

State fiscal crisis – no public resources

Real Estate Speculators

Real Estate Speculators

Displacement – Disruption of entire community

Displacement – Disruption of entire community

Bad housing conditions

Bad housing conditions

Following ranked 2 – our agenda & inclined towards:•County Fed•H.E.R.E. Local 11•SEIU 1877•LA EcoVillage•KYCC•Concerned Citizens of SCentral•New Economics ‘4’ Women

Loft dwellers“gentrifiers”

Small BusinessOwners

4 – Gets Attention our agenda &

Inclined TowardsLong-term

African-American& Immigrant

residents

ShamusCorp

PACsCD 9, Pico

Union, Hoover

N.CouncilsSEC, NA, PU

CentralCity

Association

NeighborhoodCouncil

Downtown

USC

MayorHahn

Jan Perry

BernardParks

Frank McHugh

CRA

Padilla

Ludlow

Reyes, Garcetti

Villaraigosa

•ECHC•Enterprise•LACDC•LAFLA – CEC•SAJE8 Very Importantto our success

Staples

MoneyPartners

WeingartFoundation

LAFLA – EDCShorebank

FCCEJ

CA CommFoundation

ICE

CESGilbert L.

Figueroa Corridor 2006