Petition to recall Councilman Kevin de Leon approved for circulation

A petition for the recall of Councilman Kevin de Leon was approved for circulation, the Los Angeles Office of the City Clerk announced Tuesday.

De Leon is 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. The petition requires 20,563 signatures of qualified registered voters in Council District 14 by Dec. 14 to get on the ballot.

The effort against de Leon is led by those upset with tiny home projects being built in Highland Park and Eagle Rock. One of the effort’s organizers says the villages “could put your child at risk.”

The 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.

The Arroyo Seco Tiny Home Village is expected to be the largest in California and is scheduled to be 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 voters in his district.

The effort against Raman requires at least 27,405 signatures by Nov. 4.

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