CommentsAFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS-The City of Los Angeles continued to see more Ellis Act Eviction applications filed in 2020 by landlords and developers.
In the first quarter of 2020 (January - March), 300 more affordable rent-controlled units were slated to be lost due to the state Ellis Act, which allows landlords to go out of the rental business and evict.
5 RSO Units Lost A Day
The 300 units on the Ellis chopping block in the year’s first quarter are roughly the equivalent of losing five Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) units per day.
This brings the total of Los Angeles Rent Controlled affordable units lost since 2001 to an astounding 26,862 units courtesy of the Ellis Act.
The Coalition for Economic Survival (CES), in conjunction with the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, continues to release a quarterly update of its web-based interaction map, showing where 26,862 rent stabilized affordable units have been destroyed in the City of LA.
The Ellis Act, a state law passed in 1985, which undermines local rent control laws, provides landlords the ability to evict tenants in order to remove housing units from the rental market. The Ellis Act needs to be eliminated if we are to effectively combat the housing crisis.
The map can be accessed by going to CES’s Anti-Eviction Site.
The map, using data provided by the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA), visually shows the devastating impact the Ellis Act has had on tenants being displaced and affordable rent-controlled housing lost. One can view the address of the buildings and the number of units lost there, due to the Ellis Act, by hovering over the dot using a computer mouse or laptop touch pad.
While significant in itself, the Ellis eviction numbers don’t provide a comprehensive picture of the affordable housing being lost. When you add in units lost to “Cash for Keys” displacement, Airbnb conversions and other landlord schemes, it truly equals a housing catastrophe.
Ellis Evictions Put on Hold
It is true that the Ellis Act eviction court process has been halted for now. But the 120-day eviction notice, 1 year for seniors and disabled tenants, clock continues to tick. In addition, there is no prohibition on owners serving tenants with 120-day and 1-year eviction notices after they filed Ellis applications with the City. At this point, these evictions will proceed 90 days after the end of the emergency is lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ellis Act Must Be Eliminated!
We can no longer allow developers to go into communities and just bulldoze them to put up high-priced luxury housing. The Ellis Act needs to go!
Short of completely eliminating the Ellis Act, which CES and tenants’ rights allies fully support, the State Legislature should, at minimum, take action to amend the Ellis Act in the following way:
- Restrict the ability to use the Ellis Act to property owners who have owned the property for at least 10 years.
- Limit how many times a year a developer can use the Ellis Act.
- Provide all tenants, regardless of age or disability, with a one-year notice of eviction.
(Larry Gross is the Executive Director of the Coalition for Economic Survival.) Photo: Daily News. Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
