How We Deliver for Council District 1
Council District 1 deserves a Council office that delivers. My priorities are simple: safer streets, faster response from City services, more housing people can afford, and a local economy where small businesses and working families can thrive.
I will run a hands-on, accountable operation with clear goals, public updates, and follow-through. We will focus on outcomes residents can see, not just activity behind the scenes.
This page lays out how we move Council District 1 forward, with concrete actions on Safety, Housing and Affordability, Local Economy, Youth and Families, Accountability and Access, and Homelessness.
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Every family deserves to feel safe at home, at school, and at work. Safety is a right, not a privilege. Residents should not be forced to accept dangerous behavior as “normal,” and our parks, sidewalks, libraries, schools, and business corridors should be usable for families, seniors, and kids every day.
I’m pragmatic and progressive. I believe enforcement and accountability can coexist with prevention, services, and dignity. When there is violence, threats, repeat theft, or illegal behavior that puts others at risk, the City must respond. Enforcement should be focused, professional, and accountable, with de-escalation as the default and outcomes that can be measured.
Prevention and intervention are non-negotiable. I support humane treatment and a recovery-first approach for people struggling with addiction and mental health crises, but I do not support needle exchange programs or policies that normalize drug use in public spaces. Safety also means clean streets, working lights, graffiti removal, and rapid fixes to repeat hot spots, with City departments working as one team instead of passing problems around.
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We need more housing in Council District 1, and we need more of the right kind: homes people can actually afford, built faster, built well, and built in the right places. The City’s slow, unpredictable process drives up costs and blocks projects that should be straightforward. I will support responsible development and make it easier to deliver quality housing that serves the community.
That means speeding up approvals for affordable housing and mixed-income projects, cutting unnecessary red tape, and holding projects to clear standards on safety, design, and real community benefit. When developers commit to local hiring, good design, and affordability, the City should not drag its feet. When projects are poorly planned or don’t deliver what was promised, there should be consequences.
We also need a fair, balanced system for renters and small property owners. Renters deserve safe units, stable leases, and clear protections. And mom-and-pop landlords who live in the neighborhood should not be treated like large corporate landlords. They deserve a fair process when there is serious damage, illegal activity, or repeated violations. The goal is a stable, growing Council District 1 where working families can stay, new families can put down roots, and our neighborhoods remain strong.
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Small businesses are the engine of Council District 1, and City Hall has been treating them like an afterthought. District 1 Open for Business is my commitment to make it easier to open, operate, and grow a business here, while keeping our commercial corridors clean, safe, and active. That includes the storefronts we all know, and the new era of local digital business owners who run online shops, creative studios, content businesses, consulting, and services from right here in the neighborhood.
My plan starts with speed and simplicity: a one-stop small business help desk in the Council office, a clear permit roadmap, and weekly escalation with City departments to unblock the projects that get stuck. We will push for faster approvals for storefront improvements, outdoor dining, signage, and tenant buildouts, and we will publish basic performance metrics so the system stops hiding behind excuses. For digital entrepreneurs, we will help connect them to local opportunities, pop-ups, vendor pipelines, and City contracting paths that are usually hard to access.
Then we build growth by keeping dollars circulating locally. When residents spend with neighborhood businesses, that money does not leave the community once, it comes back again and again through payroll, local vendors, rent, and services. That is how we grow real opportunity. We will back this up with corridor clean-and-safe teams that coordinate sanitation, lighting fixes, graffiti removal, and enforcement at repeat problem locations, plus a District 1 Buy Local push that spotlights local businesses and drives foot traffic. The goal is measurable: more businesses opened, fewer closures, faster permits, and commercial corridors that feel alive again.
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Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis and a public space crisis. We need a plan that gets people indoors faster, treats mental illness and addiction seriously, and restores sidewalks, parks, and business corridors so families can live normally again. There is no dignity in leaving people on the street. People experiencing homelessness deserve compassion and real help, and residents deserve safe, clean public spaces.
My approach is simple: housing, treatment, and accountability, working together. We will prioritize real exits from the street into interim housing and permanent housing, with case management that follows through, not just paperwork. For people in crisis, we need faster access to mental health care, detox, and treatment, and recovery-first pathways that are humane and structured. Compassion means meeting people where they are, then helping them move forward into stability.
We also have to protect the public realm. Encampments that block sidewalks, create fire hazards, impact schools, or bring violence and drug activity into neighborhoods cannot be treated as untouchable. The City must coordinate outreach, sanitation, and enforcement so there is a clear path indoors, and clear standards for public spaces. People are tired of rhetoric without results. I will demand measurable outcomes and public reporting, so accountability is real and progress is visible.
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City Hall should be easy to reach and hard to ignore. A Councilmember is a public servant, not a gatekeeper. This job works for the community, and I will run it that way. Right now, too many people in Council District 1 feel like they cannot get a call back, cannot get answers, and cannot get basic issues resolved. That is not acceptable.
As your Councilmember, my office will operate like a service organization. We will return calls, give clear timelines, and stay on issues until they are resolved, not just “logged.” If a problem is stuck, we escalate it. If an agency misses the mark, we press for action. If the City makes a commitment, we track it and follow through.
You will also be able to see the work. I will publish simple, public updates on the issues residents care about most: 311 follow-through, cleanups, street and sidewalk fixes, lighting, and persistent problem locations. I will hold regular neighborhood hours and community meetings across Council District 1 so access is real, not symbolic. The standard is simple: you should feel served, and you should be able to measure the results.
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Kids and families deserve safe neighborhoods, clean parks, and real opportunities close to home. While the City does not run Los Angeles Unified School District, the City has a major role in youth outcomes through safe routes to school, after-school partnerships, libraries, parks, and the basic services that shape daily life.
I will focus on what the City can directly deliver: safer crossings and better lighting near schools, clean and well-maintained parks and recreation centers, and public spaces that feel welcoming for families. We will work with schools, parent groups, and trusted community organizations to expand after-school programs, sports, arts, and mentorship that keep kids engaged and supported.
Families also need community, not just services. I will bring more neighborhood events to Council District 1: park movie nights, youth sports clinics, clean-up days, resource fairs, cultural events, and local business pop-ups that give kids something positive to do and give families a reason to gather. And I will build pathways from school to work through internships, paid youth jobs, and partnerships with local businesses and nonprofits so young people can earn, learn, and build skills right here in Council District 1.