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Politics Jul 21, 2021
Photo courtesy of @kdeleon/Twitter
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Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Leon was served a recall notice Tuesday, making him the third L.A. City Council member to be targeted for a recall from constituents upset with their handling of the city’s homelessness crisis.
“They’re basically citing the fact that he’s building the tiny homes project both in Highland Park and presumably in Eagle Rock, and according to them … it’s a `crime against humanity,”‘ de Leon’s communications director Pete Brown told City News Service.
The effort is being led by Pauline Adkins, Brown said. On her Facebook page, Adkins wrote:
“Putting that tiny house village across from Eagle Rock Park, could put your child at risk, might it be worth it to put the tiny home project on hold, at least until there is data to prove (our) families are safe …”
Tiny home villages are meant to serve as interim housing amid a historic homelessness and affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles. Crews broke ground on June 29 on a 224-bed tiny home village in Highland Park.
“I’m proud to stand with so many leaders and members of the Highland Park community to break ground on this important project that will provide a safe refuge to our most vulnerable community members now experiencing homelessness,” De Leon said at the groundbreaking.
That village — called the Arroyo Seco Tiny Home Village — is expected to be the largest in California and completed in three months.
“From day one, I promised my constituents that I would partner with them to tackle our district’s challenges with urgency, compassion, and common sense — and that is exactly what we are doing,” de Leon said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Nothing will derail our focus on saving lives as we fulfill our commitment to lift unhoused Angelenos off the streets and into housing as quickly as possible.”
On July 13, a petition for the recall of Councilman Mike Bonin was approved for circulation, and on July 9, a recall petition for Councilwoman Nithya Raman was approved.
Petitioners against Bonin, who represents Westside neighborhoods including Venice, and Raman, who represents central neighborhoods including Hollywood and Silver Lake, also cite anger with how the council members have handled the city’s homelessness crisis.
Under Los Angeles’ recall rules, constituents are able to sign petitions to recall council members starting four weeks after the notices are served. To get the recall effort on the ballot, campaigns have 120 days to obtain verified signatures from 15% of the districts’ registered voters.
The petition’s deadline is Nov. 10 for Bonin’s recall and it needs at least 27,387 signatures from qualified registered voters in his district. The effort against Raman requires at least 27,405 signatures by Nov. 4.
If the petition to recall de Leon is approved, it would need about 21,000 signatures within 120 days.
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