SUBJECT: Stop using City money to kill affordable housing
TO: councilmember.hernandez@lacity.org; lyric.kelkar@lacity.org; Councilmember.Nazarian@lacity.org; councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org; keith.banks@lacity.org; contactCD4@lacity.org; mashael.majid@lacity.org; councilmember.yaroslavsky@lacity.org; Andrew.deblock@lacity.org; councilmember.padilla@lacity.org; lamont.cobb@lacity.org; councilmember.rodriguez@lacity.org; marie.rumsey@lacity.org; sean.starkey@lacity.org; councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org; councilmember.price@lacity.org; cd10@lacity.org; andrew.westall@lacity.org; councilmember.soto-martinez@lacity.org; sachin.medhekar@lacity.org; councilmember.jurado@lacity.org; steve.diaz@lacity.org; councilmember.mcosker@lacity.org; Pamela.Thornton@lacity.org; anissa.raja@lacity.org; councilmember.Lee@lacity.org; councilmember.park@lacity.org
CC: clerk.cps@lacity.org
City Clerk: Please attach the following letter as written public comment to Council File 24-0971
Dear Councilmembers,
On December 10, 2025, City Council passed a multi-million dollar request from the City Attorney to fund numerous outside counsel contracts, but the funding request to keep litigating Venice Dell was removed. Now the City Attorney is asking for that money again.
This new request includes an additional $760,000 to continue fighting the Venice Dell Community affordable housing project — a project that the City itself has already approved. Altogether, this amounts to roughly $1.3 million spent to oppose housing our community desperately needs.
This exorbitant use of funds further exacerbates both the City’s dire budget and housing crises. Worse still, the City Attorney filed suit against the non-profit developers, accusing them of failing to build the very project the City has been blocking. This is no longer just about killing Venice Dell, but upending two long standing and successful affordable housing developers who have provided high quality housing and services in LA for decades. The City is facing damages over $10 million to avoid building a desperately needed and long-promised housing development it has already agreed to build. Legal responses from the City have all failed to date, yet the funding requests continue.
Not only is the City spending egregiously, but killing the Venice Dell Community will have serious consequences for the City. As noted in the letter of inquiry from the State’s Housing Accountability Unit, should the City decide to further delay and deny the Venice Dell Community, it may be found to be acting in opposition to the City’s approved Housing Element, which would initiate reconsideration of the City’s Prohousing Designation status. Penalties could include a loss of state funding for affordable housing, monthly fines to the City, a loss of local control over building and zoning decisions, court-ordered compliance, and much more.
We urge you to reject this unconscionable request from the City Attorney and protect Los Angeles’ integrity, fiscal health, and commitment to inclusive housing. Your leadership is vital to ensure that Los Angeles remains a city for all — one that upholds its promises, invests in affordable housing, and uses taxpayer dollars responsibly.
