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Council continues debate on renter protections for wildfire victims; item 33 moved to March 4
Summary
Councilmember Hernandez moved and the council voted to continue item 33 to March 4 after members cited concerns and requests from labor and housing stakeholders. Public comment included landlords urging faster rental assistance and nonprofit requests about vacant veteran housing.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to continue consideration of item 33 — a still‑unresolved agenda item related to wildfire‑impacted tenants and housing supports — to its March 4 meeting, after Councilmember Heather Hernandez moved for a two‑week continuance. The motion passed on the roll call with 11 ayes after a procedural recusal and rehearing, the clerk recorded.
Hernandez said labor partners reported widespread employment and housing impacts from the fires, citing figures from labor community services intake forms: roughly 7,000 union members reported some impact and more than 1,000 union members reported lost homes. She asked colleagues for time to work with stakeholders and come to a solution, and formally moved to continue item 33 to Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
The motion was seconded on the record as Hernandez/Kerstasein; Council President Marquise Harris‑Dawson spoke in support and said he would work with Hernandez and colleagues to find a solution that “makes sure people stay housed in this particular time period and also make sure we protect our landlords.” The clerk recorded the continuance after a roll call that produced 11 ayes.
Public commenters addressed the underlying housing questions during the general comment period. David Geishan of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles said the motion “wrongfully shifts the financial burden for wildfire victims in need of rental assistance from the City to the backs of private property owners” and urged the City to provide rental assistance within days rather than months. Monica Mejia, president of East LA Community Corporation, said the nonprofit had about 15 vacant veteran units that had been empty for more than six months and asked the City to help fill available units.
Council staff noted the continuance and scheduling changes on the record; no substantive ordinance or final policy was adopted at the Feb. 18 meeting. The item will return March 4 for reconsideration after the additional outreach and negotiations Hernandez requested.
