LA City Council provides rental assistance for merchant-tenants at El Pueblo

The Los Angeles City Council voted 11-0 last Wednesday to provide rental assistance for merchant-tenants of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument in an attempt to alleviate financial burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The motion, presented by members Kevin de León and Monica Rodriguez, directs Arturo Chavez, general manager of the historic monument, to structure plans for the graduated payment of past-due rent within 36 months or by the end of the agreement. It also directs Chavez to waive interest and late charges on back rent owed between March 2020 and Wednesday’s approval.

“We have tremendous pride for this historic spot, and with that comes a commitment to ensure that we preserve its history and businesses that keep it alive,” de León said.

The monument is located beside Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, in what’s considered the oldest section of Los Angeles.

According to de León, the pandemic took a huge toll on local business and the tourism industry at large. The businesses at El Pueblo, he said, are not traditional shops, but “founded businesses with long histories and legacies rooted in Los Angeles.”

Chavez attended the council meeting and told members, “We are here asking for your support with this motion, which will allow us … to implement payment plans for merchants in El Pueblo,” Chavez said. “It took an impact here with the merchants of Olvera Street.”

Previously, the council provided assistance to those businesses by implementing nine months of free rent and reducing rent by 60% for a period of six months, according to Chavez.

“Today’s action demonstrates the city’s genuine commitment to seeing our merchants succeed and fully get back on their feet,” de León said. “I believe that a structured plan for graduated payment is in the best interest of the city, as well as small business tenants.”

Describing El Pueblo as the “heartbeat of Los Angeles,” Rodriguez said she understands the ongoing struggle that merchant-tenants are experiencing as business and tourism slowly returns to El Pueblo.

“It would be so easy for many of you to just call it a day because it is very difficult to sustain business in an environment where you don’t have young people even doing field trips anymore,” she said.

Valerie Garcia Hanley, the owner of Casa California — one of a couple of El Pueblo business owners who came to Wednesday’s council meeting to support the motion — said she had to shut down for four and a half months due to the pandemic.

“As far as actually getting people back and tourism back, that really has not happened to what we considered normal yet,” Hanley said. “The City Council has helped us in the past by forgiving some of our rents, but we’ve been having to pay full rent since January 2021 and most of us haven’t been able to. There’s just not been enough business.”

The motion would help her and other business owners at El Pueblo repay back rent over a certain period of time without added penalties or interest, she added.

“We’ve lost five merchants during the pandemic. We lost a few more before that. We have 15 vacancies,” Hanley said. “It’s disheartening to see that these families (who) have been here all of these generations … not being able to continue to work.”

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