Here’s a quick recap of what’s happening in the Seventh Council District this week:

Good Neighbor Policy

It takes all of us working together to address the City’s homelessness crisis and the Good Neighbor Policy is an opportunity to rebuild the community’s trust and strengthen our dialogue between residents and service providers. This week, I introduced legislation directing City agencies and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority​ to develop a set of rules and outreach protocols aimed at making winter shelter operators better neighbors. I’ve seen this policy work for residents in the 7th Council District, and I look forward to sharing more of its measurable impacts and identifying opportunities to scale it throughout the City. More information can be found here.

Expediting Permits & Granting Fee Waivers for Fire Victims

This week the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved my motion to direct the Department of Building and Safety, LAFD, and relevant City agencies to report on expediting building permits and granting fee waivers for residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the La Tuna Canyon and Creek Fires. In the Creek Fire, nearly half of my district (115,000 people) were evacuated and 123 structures destroyed. My team and I have been laser-focused on helping our residents recover and rebuild after these devastating fires.

This work includes introducing legislation that instructed departments to continue the post fire mitigation work, protecting our communities from mudslides, and creating protocols for equine evacuation. I also worked collaboratively with City agencies to establish a hotline to provide victims of the brush fires direct access to a case manager who will facilitate the permitting process. My motion expands our current efforts to help victims from the recent fires recovery and rebuild their lives.

To Preserve & Protect Horse-Keeping

This week, I introduced legislation instructing City agencies to report back on potential development standards to ensure that the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) do not adversely impact horse-keeping in the City of Los Angeles. Current State legislation allows the placement of ADUs, commonly referred to as ‘granny flats,’ with minimal restrictions. The City of Los Angeles requires a minimum distance between equine uses, single family homes, ADUs, and other habitable rooms. However, State legislation does not address these distance requirements. My motion calls for legislation to preserve and protect equine keeping in the City of Los Angeles.

FEMA Resources: Hurry Before the March 16 Deadline

Help is still available for residents and homeowners impacted by the recent disasters and I encourage all residents who sustained damages to register for assistance immediately. Resources include state and FEMA grants and low-interest loans from the SBA. Grants may be used to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs, medical expenses and property losses. Please take advantage of these resources ASAP — the deadline to register for disaster assistance for these events is March 16, 2018.

Disaster survivors can access disaster information and assistance in several ways:

Photo of the Week

Meet Fred, a calm, elegantly handsome seven-year-old German Shepherd, with the best mismatched eyes. He’s currently housed at the East Valley Animal Shelter and is waiting for the lucky person to take him home. To adopt Fred, visit 14409 Vanowen, Van Nuys or call (818) 756-9323. His ID is #A1751746.

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