[ARACELI SPEAKING SPANISH] DIEGO: I MEAN, IF I GOT TO GO HOMELESS FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW, I'LL DO IT.

I HAVE MY VAN OUT THERE.

I CAN JUST LIVE IN THE VAN.

AS LONG AS WE GOT FOOD AND WE GOT OUR FAMILY TOGETHER, THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS REALLY.

PASTOR: DISPLACEMENT IN URBAN AREAS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES OF THE 21st CENTURY.

MUCH LIKE RED LINING SORT OF PREVENTED PEOPLE FROM ACQUIRING ASSETS IN AN EARLIER PERIOD, FINDING YOURSELF MOVED OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS IN, THAT'S DAMAGING TO PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND IT'S HAPPENING DISPROPORTIONATELY TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

ITON: YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEEDS OF RENTERS WHO ARE MUCH MORE VULNERABLE THAN PROPERTY OWNERS.

YOU HAVE TO FIND A BALANCE.

AND IN SOME CITIES, THAT BALANCE IS WAY OFF.

IF YOU LOOK AT LONG BEACH, IT'S A FANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF HEAVY INVESTMENT.

DOWNTOWN ALONG THE WATERFRONT, MASSIVE, GLEAMING BUILDINGS.

AND YOU GO 3, 4 BLOCKS AWAY FROM THEM, AND SEEING THAT THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO INVESTMENT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AT ALL.

WOMAN: WHEN WE WERE IN OUR DOWNTOWN PLAN CAMPAIGN AND WE WERE HIGHLIGHTING ALL THAT THE CITY WAS GIVING TO DEVELOPERS, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE TIME SAID SOMETHING I'LL NEVER FORGET.

SHE SAID, "LONG BEACH IS A CHEAP DATE, AND WE NEED TO STOP BEING ONE."

THIS APPEAL IS ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH.

THE DOWNTOWN MARKET STUDY SAID THAT THERE ARE 33,000 RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

IT SAID THAT 75% ARE LOW INCOME.

THAT IS 24,000 FOLKS WHO ARE AT GREAT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.

AND THAT IS THE IMPACT OF GENTRIFICATION.

[APPLAUSE] MAN: THANK YOU.

FOSTER: THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL.

VICE MAYOR LOWENTHAL.

LOWENTHAL: IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN FOR ME THE LIKELIHOOD OF 24,000 OR 1,000 OR ANY NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS BEING DISPLACED, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

BODEK: IT IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE DISPLACED.

WE DON'T DENY THAT.

BUT THE PLAUSIBILITY OF THE DISPLACEMENT AT THAT RATE IS QUESTIONABLE AT BEST.

BROWNE: THE LACK OF OWNERSHIP IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IS WHAT'S CAUSING DISPLACEMENT.

I MEAN, IF YOU OWN SOMETHING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET DISPLACED FROM IT.

MAN: HI, THERE.

WOMAN: HI, HOW ARE YOU?

BUTLER: ALL RIGHT.

HI, MY NAME'S JOSH.

THIS IS BRENDA.

WE'RE WITH HOUSING LONG BEACH.

WOMAN: OH, HOUSING LONG BEACH, OK.

BUTLER: YEAH.

WE'RE AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, AND WE FIGHT FOR TENANTS' RIGHTS AND FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND SO HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE PERSON THAT'S PURCHASED THIS BUILDING?

WOMAN: YES.

THEY SAID THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO MOVE.

CALOCA: OK, LET ME ASK YOU.

DOES THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAVE TO HAVE A REASON TO KICK A TENANT OUT?

WOMAN: YEAH, THEY DO.

CALOCA: THEY NEED TO HAVE A REASON?

WOMAN: THERE HAS TO BE A PURPOSE ON WHY THEY'RE KICKED OUT.

BUTLER: THEY DON'T HAVE TO GIVE YOU A REASON FOR WHY YOU HAVE TO GO.

60-DAY NOTICE ON THE DOOR, YOU GOT TO GO.

WOMAN: OK.

BUTLER: THAT'S IT.

NO REASON.

CALOCA: NO REASON.

BUTLER: IN LONG BEACH, THERE'S SUCH A SENSE OF IT BEING TEMPORARY.

EVEN IF YOU PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME ALL THE TIME AND FOLLOW ALL THE RULES AND YOU'RE THE MODEL TENANT, IF THE LANDLORD WANTS TO SELL THAT BUILDING AND THEY WANT TO MOVE YOU IN TWO MONTHS, YOU'VE GOT TO PACK UP AND GO.

YOU LOOK OUTSIDE AND YOU SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS GETTING THEIR NOTICES AND PACKING UP AND LEAVING, YOU DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE THAT COULD COME YOUR WAY AT ANY POINT IN TIME.

WOMAN: I GOT THE NOTICE AND I WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG.

BUTLER: YEAH.

WOMAN: WHEN I CALLED THEM AND SAID, "WELL, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"

YOU KNOW, THEY SAID THEY HAVE A NEW OWNER AND THE NEW OWNER WANTS TO REDO ALL THE APARTMENTS, TO REMODEL THEM.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE $800 MORE A MONTH THAN WHAT I'M PAYING NOW.

BUTLER: WOW.

WOMAN: I KNOW.

WOMAN: I'M 65 YEARS OLD, I'M ON DISABILITY, AND THEY JUST COME IN LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE MONEY TO MOVE.

AND I MEAN, THE NEIGHBORS HAVE KIDS, EVERYBODY, AND THEY ALL GOT EVICTED.

13 YEARS, 14 YEARS, 9 YEARS.

I'VE BEEN THERE ALMOST 6.

BUTLER: WE NEED EVICTION PROTECTIONS.

WE'RE THE LARGEST CITY ON THE WEST COAST IN TERMS OF RENTER POPULATION THAT HAS NO EVICTION PROTECTIONS.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER] KAPLAN: GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

FIRST I REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE THE BROAD COALITION OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT AND FIGHTING FOR THESE CHANGES AND GIVING FEEDBACK ON THEM FOR MANY MONTHS.

WE DO KNOW QUITE CLEARLY THAT OAKLAND IS FACING A HOUSING CRISIS, INCLUDING A DISPLACEMENT CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

BLACKWELL: DURING THE PAST DECADE, OAKLAND HAS SEEN DRAMATIC CHANGES.

IN 2013, 49% OF OAKLAND RESIDENTS WERE PAYING MORE THAN 1/3 OF THEIR INCOME, WHICH IS THE DEFINITION OF BEING HOUSING BURDENED.

WOMAN: THEY'RE SLEEPING IN THEIR CARS.

WE'RE SEEING FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN GETTING DRESSED IN THE MORNING AND WALKING TO SCHOOL, GETTING OUT OF VEHICLES.

SECOND WOMAN: HAVE MERCY.

DON'T PUT THIS OFF, PLEASE.

MAN: NOT ALL LANDLORDS ARE FROM THE DONALD TRUMP SCHOOL OF VINDICTIVE AND IRRESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES.

[BOOING] WOMAN: PAUSE HIS TIME, PLEASE.

PAUSE HIS TIME.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE BEEN A RESPECTFUL MEETING ALL EVENING.

BOO AFTER HE SPEAKS.

BUT IT IS EQUAL CONSIDERATION FOR PEOPLE AS THEY SPEAK SO THAT WE CAN HEAR THE TESTIMONY.

MAN: MY SMALL PROPERTY OWNER CLIENTS ARE HARD-WORKING FOLKS THAT HAVE BUILT SWEAT EQUITY AND HAVE PLANNED TO RETIRE ON RENTAL INCOME.

SADLY, THE DISTASTE FOR DOING BUSINESS IN OAKLAND IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE UNBEARABLE.

SMALL PROPERTY OWNERS ARE SELLING THEIR BUILDINGS AND INVESTING ELSEWHERE.

WHAT'S THE RESULT?

LESS RENTALS, WHICH ONLY DRIVES RENTS HIGHER.

THE MARKET IS CHANGING AND WE'RE SEEING SIGNS OF THE CORRECTION.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THE FORESIGHT AND THE DIRECTION TO SLOW DOWN AND WORK ON CREATING, NOT REDUCING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] WOMAN: THANK YOU.

WOMAN: WELCOME, WELCOME TO BETTER HOUSING FOR LONG BEACH ACTION MEETING.

MY NAME IS JOANI WEIR, AND I'M A PROPERTY OWNER IN LONG BEACH AND PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS TEAM.

BETTER HOUSING... I STARTED BETTER HOUSING IN RESPONSE TO THE ORDINANCES THAT ARE COMING INTO LONG BEACH THAT ARE GONNA HARM PROPERTY OWNERS.

MAN: JUST AS A SHOW OF HANDS, ARE THERE ANY LANDLORDS HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF GOOD TENANTS?

I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS SHOWING UP.

JUST 'CAUSE EVICTION IS WHAT WILL MAKE THAT DIFFICULT, SO IF YOU NEED TO GET RID OF A PROBLEM-CAUSING TENANT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.

[KNOCK ON DOOR] CALOCA: IT'S BRENDA.

HI, PAMELA.

PAMELA: HI.

CALOCA: HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD, GOOD.

PAMELA: TOOK MY ADVICE ON THAT DOOR.

CALOCA: OH, NO WORRIES.

BUTLER: HI, PAMELA.

PAMELA: MY RENT WAS AT A CERTAIN AMOUNT.

WHEN THE CITY CODE ENFORCEMENTS CAME OUT, AFTER THAT LETTER, IT WENT UP 200.

CALOCA: "IF YOU WANT ALL THE REPAIRS YOU'RE ASKING FOR, WE CAN RAISE YOUR RENT TO 1,800."

BUTLER: SO THE WAY HE SEES IT IS THAT HE'S PUTTING UP WITH YOU.

THE WAY YOU SEE IT IS THAT YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT AND YOU'RE PAYING RENT-- PAMELA: MM-HMM.

BUTLER: SO YOU'RE PUTTING UP WITH HIM AND THE CONDITIONS.

PAMELA: YES.

YOU KNOW, THEY TOLD ME, YOU'RE A SECTION 8 TENANT.

YOU'RE SECTION 8.

THAT'S DISCRIMINATING WHEN YOU LABEL ME LIKE THAT.

I SAID, "I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO."

WEIR: SOMEONE'S GIVEN A 60-DAY NOTICE, THEY'RE NOT BEING EVICTED.

THEY'RE ASKED TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE.

WHEN YOU BUY A CAR, WHEN YOU RENT A HOME, THERE'S A CONTRACT YOU SIGN.

THEY'RE SAYING YOU DON'T HAVE RIGHTS.

YOU HAVE--RENTERS HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN PROPERTY OWNERS.

MAN: THAT IS CORRECT.

WEIR: THERE'S A REAL PUSH TO VILIFY LANDLORDS, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO STOP.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS ILLUSION THAT WE'RE TAKING TRIPS AROUND THE WORLD AND LIVING LARGE.

IT'S A TOUGH JOB DEALING AND BALANCING A BUILDING, TRYING TO KEEP YOUR TENANTS HAPPY.

IT'S 24/7.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PEOPLE'S HOMES, THEIR LIVES.

WOMAN: THE PUSH FOR THESE POLICIES LIKE JUST-CAUSE EVICTION AND RENT CONTROL WOULDN'T BE THERE IF THERE WAS ENOUGH HOUSING.

FROM 2015 TO 2025, APPROXIMATELY 1.8 MILLION NEW HOUSING UNITS ARE NEEDED TO MEET PROJECTED POPULATION AND HOUSING GROWTH.

BROWNE: LONG BEACH IS IN A HOUSING CRISIS.

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE NEED TO PRODUCE 4,009 AFFORDABLE UNITS BY 2021 BY THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS IN PLACE FOR THAT.

WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR THAT.

WE DON'T HAVE LAND USE POLICIES FOR MARKET RATE DEVELOPERS TO HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.

HAAS: I THINK THERE'S A GENERALIZATION ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE UNITS, WE JUST HAVE TO GET MORE GRANULAR.

THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE UNITS FOR WHOM?

THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE UNITS AT WHAT PRICE?

BAGINSKI: WE WALKED INTO THIS PLACE THE FIRST TIME WE LOOKED AT IT.

IT WAS BOARDED UP, CHAIN LINK FENCES, AND 3 FEET OF TRASH THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE.

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING.

DID YOU EVEN LOOK INSIDE TO SEE IF PAUL'S IN THERE?

ALLEN: I HAVEN'T.

BAGINSKI: HEH HEH HEH.

ALLEN: I HOPE HE'S NOT.

BAGINSKI: THERE MIGHT BE A HOMELESS GUY HANGING OUT IN HERE, BY THE WAY.

A FRIEND OF OURS IS LIVING HERE FOR A MONTH.

ALLEN: HELLO.

OH, HEY.

PAUL'S HERE.

HEH HEH HEH.

BAGINSKI: WE JUST WON'T GO IN.

ALLEN: HEY.

MICAH'S HERE.

PAUL: BLAH!

ALLEN: HEH HEH HEH.

BAGINSKI: WE HIRED PAUL TO STAY IN OUR HOUSE FOR A MONTH WHILE IT'S IN ESCROW SO THAT IT STAYS SAFE BECAUSE, LIKE I WAS SAYING, A VACANT HOUSE IS NOT A GOOD THING.

WE BASICALLY PUT $125,000 INTO IT AND 6 MONTHS WORTH OF LABOR AND PUT IT ON THE MARKET AND WERE ACCUSED WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE MARKET OF LISTING IT TOO LOW BY A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

ALLEN: YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO BEEN ACCUSED ON THE BACK END OF "HEY.

YOU GUYS ARE DRIVING UP HOUSING PRICES.

YOU'RE LISTING THESE PLACES FAR TOO HIGH."

BAGINSKI: $100,000 TO $350,000 FOR THE SAME HOUSE IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE MATTER OF A COUPLE YEARS.

ALLEN: YOU KNOW, THE NATURE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE IN CALIFORNIA IS JUST SO HYPERCYCLIC, AND IT'S SUCH A BOOM-BUST BUSINESS TO BE IN.

BAGINSKI: MAKES FOR A PRETTY SCARY BUSINESS MODEL.

PASTOR: WE HAVE A SOCIETY IN WHICH WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOUSES, REALLY, JUST AS AN ECONOMIC EXCHANGE.

DO YOU HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO PAY RENT OR TO BUY A HOME?

AND IF YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A RIGHT TO ONE.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] BUTLER: IT'S HARD WHEN PEOPLE COME INTO OUR OFFICE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, A FEW WEEKS LATER, YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND YOU SEE THEM SITTING ON A CORNER WITH THEIR STUFF.

THIS IS A REAL BATTLE AND THE STAKES ARE INCREDIBLY HIGH.

ITON: HOUSING INSTABILITY IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND FORMS OF RISK AFTER CRIME.

AND THIS NOTION THAT YOU MAY BE EVICTED, THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU MAY BECOME HOMELESS.

ALL OF THESE THINGS DRIVE STRESS ENORMOUSLY.

WEIR: DO I THINK THAT HOUSING IS A RIGHT, A HUMAN RIGHT?

I THINK THAT'S A CONFUSING QUESTION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE--SHOULD LIVE FOR FREE.

I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, AND PULL THEIR WEIGHT.

WOMAN: WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE SAYING HOUSING IS A RIGHT, THEN I THINK THE GOVERNMENT OUGHT TO STEP UP AND PROVIDE THAT HOUSING.

MAN: HOUSING IS NOT A RIGHT.

IT IS A EARNED RIGHT, JUST LIKE FOOD AND JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR BASIC NEEDS.

WE HAVE TO EARN THOSE NEEDS.

BODEK: A LOT OF PEOPLE STAKE THEIR CAREERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE, RIGHT?

POLYZOIDES: WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY AS HUMAN BEINGS TO CARE FOR THE PEOPLE NEXT TO US WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS.

BUT IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT AT ALL.

WEIR: WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR IT?

WHO'S PAYING FOR IT?

BODEK: I THINK IT IS AN AGE-OLD QUESTION THAT WE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH, YOU KNOW, FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE.

HAAS: IT'S PROBLEMATIC WHEN YOU START SEGMENTING WHO'S WORTHY OF HAVING THEIR NEEDS MET AND WHO'S NOT WORTHY.