Right to counsel is now a reality for tenants living in unincorporated LA County. As of January 1, 2025, LA County tenants facing eviction have access to free legal representation. The Board of Supervisors in July 2024 approved a Right to Counsel ordinance, making LA County the 24th jurisdiction to have a Right to Counsel. ACCE tenant leaders as part of the Right to Counsel coalition helped make this law a reality through public comments and lobbying efforts before the Board of Supervisors. Thanks to this work, LA County tenants are now able to defend themselves on an equal footing with landlords who try to unjustly throw them out of their homes!

Building on ACCE Los Angeles' successful campaign in July 2024 to protect South LA tenants displaced by new housing development, the same renter protections will now be expanded citywide. In December, the LA City Council adopted changes to the city's Resident Protection Ordinance (RPO) that will strengthen protections for all LA residents displaced by developers demolishing older apartment complexes to make way for new development. ACCE collaborated with partners at Movement Legal to draft the changes to the RPO based on the updated South LA Community Plan Implementation Overlay or CPIO. The protections include a right of return to newly developed units for displaced tenants, more generous relocation assistance, a five-year denial of demolition permits to landlords who have been found to harass tenants, and the right to sue landlords who violate tenants' rights. These new protections are a huge step toward curbing the rapid gentrification of historically low-income communities and communities of color.

ACCE members helped achieve a significant victory through their advocacy at Oakland City Hall, securing important amendments to strengthen tenant protections in the city's Rent Adjustment and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinances. The approved changes, effective December 17, 2024, include several key reforms that enhance accountability for property owners and expand tenant rights. Most notably, the legislation reduces the "banking" period for rent increases from ten to five years and prevents new property owners from using banked increases after property transfers (except in specific inheritance cases). The reforms also create stronger enforcement mechanisms by prohibiting both rent increases and no-fault evictions when property owners are delinquent on their business taxes, requiring proof of current business tax compliance with rent increase notices, and doubling the time tenants have to challenge unlawful rent increases from 90 to 180 days.

These changes represent a substantial win for tenant rights, establishing stronger oversight of property owners and limiting their ability to accumulate and implement delayed rent increases. The reforms particularly target the practice of "banking" rent increases and create new protections against evictions, while also ensuring better transparency through expanded notice requirements and language accessibility in multiple languages including English, Spanish, and Chinese.

RICHMOND, CA- On December 17th 2024, the Richmond City Council passed a pivotal ordinance to overhaul the city’s housing code enforcement system. After two years of relentless organizing and campaigning led by local residents and members of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and important legal support from California Center for Movement Legal Services (Movement Legal), the ordinance is set to transform how Richmond ensures safe and habitable housing for all tenants.

The newly adopted ordinance mandates routine inspections of all residential units every three years, eliminates the current flawed self-certification program for large buildings, and strengthens oversight of housing conditions citywide. These changes close longstanding gaps in Richmond’s current complaint-based system, which left tenants in unsafe housing and afraid to report violations due to fear of retaliation.

Richmond will now adopt an updated Code Enforcement Program that holds landlords accountable for deplorable living conditions and ensures no tenant is forced to live in uninhabitable housing.

In a process that was four years in the making, 11 programs created with the passage of Measure ULA's mansion tax are now moving on to full implementation! On Dec. 10, 2024, the LA City Council passed program guidelines in a 12-0 vote, inspired by the United to House LA coalition's vision of social housing, good union jobs, a tenant right to counsel, income support for low-income seniors, homeownership programs, and protections against tenant harassment. These programs will now be made possible with a total of $318 million in ULA dollars raised across two years. LA tenants are now another step forward toward gaining housing that is more secure, affordable and healthy!

The LA County Board of Supervisors voted to approve lowering annual rent increases from 4% to 3% on most rent-controlled units in unincorporated parts of the county. The change, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025, exempts small landlords (those owning 10 or fewer units) as well as landlords of luxury units. This change to the rent cap will provide much needed relief for LA County tenants already struggling to pay for basic necessities. ACCE leaders are now working hard to bring the same relief to LA City renters. 

In another huge victory for LA tenants, the Los Angeles City Council on Oct. 30 approved major changes to the city's Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO), three years after the law's initial passage. The new TAHO changes will provide stronger protection for tenants against abusive landlords by providing enforcement mechanisms and legal remedies. This marks the culmination of the TAHO 2.0 campaign, launched in 2022 by ACCE Los Angeles leaders, and later joined by our Keep LA Housed (KLAH) coalition partners.

When TAHO went into effect in 2021, the law's weakness was immediately apparent because no funds had been allocated for enforcement. Organizers and attorneys continued to report cases of rampant intimidation, unlawful eviction notices, threats of physical harm, unlawful lockouts, refusal to make necessary repairs, unilateral reductions in key rental amenities, and abuse of a landlord’s right to enter a tenant’s home. Soon, TAHO 2.0 campaign was born. 

TAHO 2.0 demanded several amendments to the ordinance including:

• ensuring landlords are fined for each violation
• triple damages when landlords willfully engage in harassment
• requiring landlords to pay attorneys fees to tenants who win their case
• remedies for tenants, such as emotional damages

ACCE and KLAH members worked tirelessly to turn out for public comment at City Hall, made phone calls and lobby visits to council members, and held media events to highlight impacted tenant stories to the press and public. This hard work resulted in a City Council vote of 11-0 in favor of passage, with all the amendments ACCE and KLAH asked for. The strengthened TAHO will become law at the end of 2024. Tenants in LA will now start off the New Year 2025 in a stronger position to fight back against landlords who violate their rights!

RICHMOND, CA- On October 22nd, the Richmond City Council voted to support  a historic Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the nation’s leading Richmond Clean Energy and Healthy Homes Project. The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action (ACCE Action) and community allies have tirelessly organized and advocated for the City of Richmond to deliver on equitable clean energy solutions that uplift Richmond’s low-income Black and Brown residents.

This vote paves the way for the first-ever PLA for a neighborhood-scale residential decarbonization project in a low-income community, establishing Richmond as a national leader in advancing equitable clean energy solutions. The PLA will prioritize local hiring, allowing working-class communities of color to benefit directly from the economic and environmental gains of the City’s green investments.

The City of Richmond now becomes a national leader in advancing justice-centered neighborhood decarbonization projects that will improve the health and well-being of thousands of community members.

All residents of Imperial Beach RV parks are now protected from being forced to move and re-register as tenants every six months, thanks to a new law introduced by Asm. David Alvarez and signed by Gov. Newsom. Owners of RV parks used this rule in order to evade state tenant protections that activate after a tenant is a resident for nine months. Tenants at the Siesta RV Park had organized with ACCE San Diego for three years against their landlord, Miramar Imperial Beach LLC, for enforcing the six-month rule until the City finally ended the rule at the park in 2022. The law, AB 1472, expands the six-month ban citywide. Congratulations to the Siesta Park tenants and all Imperial Beach RV park tenants for this hard-fought win!

RICHMOND, CA – In August 2024, ACCE Richmond and local communities were prepared to take the fight to the ballot with the "Make Polluters Pay" campaign. Led by the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), the campaign aimed to impose a tax on oil refining in Richmond, holding polluters accountable while funding clean air and water initiatives, emergency services, healthcare, and youth programs.

However, the Richmond City Council removed the Polluters Pay measure from the November ballot after accepting a $550 million settlement from Chevron. It was only fair that the community has a voice in deciding how that settlement is spent.

In response, ACCE Richmond members, alongside community residents and APEN, rallied to demand accountability. We successfully urged the Richmond City Council to pass a resolution committing to allocate the $550 million settlement toward essential services and Just Transition planning for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

ANTIOCH, CA-  On September 10th, 2024, the Antioch City Council voted to pass a groundbreaking Just-Cause Eviction Ordinance, marking a significant win for tenants and a crucial step toward preventing homelessness in the community. With the passage of this ordinance, Antioch tenants will now have greater security in their homes, reducing the risk of sudden evictions for profit-driven reasons, such as “renovictions” and false owner move-ins.

Last night’s victory for Just-Cause Eviction Ordinance adds to the growing list of wins achieved by ACCE Antioch and allied partners, which has been at the forefront of the fight for housing justice in the city. Through persistent organizing and community mobilization, ACCE Antioch and Rising Juntos successfully rallied for the passage of the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (otherwise known as TAHO) and Rent Control Ordinance, both designed to safeguard tenants from exploitation and predatory practices by landlords.

Together, these victories form a comprehensive package of tenant protections, aimed at ensuring that families in Antioch can live without fear of unjust eviction, harassment, or sudden rent hikes. This latest win solidifies the progress in securing long-term housing stability for Antioch’s most vulnerable residents.

After a 2-year campaign, ACCE Los Angeles leaders and the USC Forward coalition won changes to South LA's Community Plan Implementation Overlay (CPIO) that will better protect tenants in South LA displaced by new housing development. On July 2, 2024, the City Council voted for the amendments, which will require the City to make changes to the CPIO that will be stronger than in state law. To make it happen, ACCE leaders turned out en masse for press conferences and public comments at City Hall. They also protested against the corporate developer, Tripalink- responsible for the rapid gentrification around the University of Southern California in its drive to build expensive student housing at the expense of longtime local residents. Now ACCE leaders are calling on the City to pass the same strong changes citywide. “The south LA CPIO will protect tenants from displacement, affordable housing from demolition, and the character of our neighborhood," said ACCE and USC Forward member Muhammed Abdullah.

SACRAMENTO, CA - ACCE Transit Riders members have been fighting over the last Couple months to Protect our Successful Youth Ryde Free Transit Program. The Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan originally proposed to completely cut the program from the city's budget but the consistent presence and pressure from ACCE members and the community resulted in Mayor Steinberg proposing to cut their part to $250,000 and having Sacramento School Districts & SacRT to pay the remaining $750,000. The final budget meeting was on June 11, 2024 where we had 40 leaders and allies who spoke out & helped the program be saved for this next year. Mayor Steinberg & other City Council Members pressured the school districts to pay their part in a rushed announcement in less than a 2 week turnaround. Although the community and members were outraged at the idea of forcing school districts that are already being defunded by the state budget to have to pay for a program that benefits the city, not just schools. ACCE Leaders saw this as a good opportunity to demand that school districts have oversight and representation for better services like more direct routes and safer bus stops for schools as well as having representation on Sac RT's board. The fight ahead will consist of demanding representation for school districts as well as keeping the program intact for future youth riders.

Housing-burdened Los Angeles City workers will gain strong new benefits, thanks to an historic bargaining agreement ratified in late February 2024 by the membership of ACCE's union partner SEIU 721. ACCE Los Angeles collaborated with SEIU on the Fix LA campaign to win the contract with the City, that includes rent and mortgage reduction benefits, establishing a Housing Development Committee, and commitments to building social and permanent supportive housing on City-owned property with union labor.

When 82-year-old Jose Serrano was illegally locked out of his South Los Angeles home on a frigid Jan. 6, 11 ACCE tenant leaders and organizers sprang into action. Mr. Serrano's building had just been sold, and he was ordered to vacate by the new owner. Only the LA County Sheriff Department through a court order can legally evict a tenant. When she got the call from Mr. Serrano for help, senior housing organizer Lupita Gonzalez immediately gathered several ACCE members and staff to bring bolt cutters and break through the locks on the entrance to Mr. Serrano's home to let him back in. People power organizing at work to help our community members in need!

Our Contra Costa-ACCE chapter continues to be a leader in the racial justice fight in the county!

We began by fighting for the passage of a special fund called Measure X during the elections of 2020, which would raise funding to support critical social programs in the county.

Through Measure X we were successful at getting the County to invest $80,000 in a feasibility study to create an African American Wellness and Resource Hub in Contra Costa County, and on December 12th we won $1 million from the county to go toward resources for the African American community in Contra Costa County.

The $1 Million we won will go toward supporting non-profits and faith- based groups who are already servicing black community, helping them increase their capacity and provide more resources.

This victory was significant given the Antioch Police Department’s corruption and racism which came to light early last year and showed targeted racism, anti-blackness, confessions of civil rights violation to the black community members, and text messages showing officers celebrating the violence they caused toward black people.

We will be doing work to ensure that the implementation of all these resources go to their intended needs and continue to hold our county supervisors accountable to make sure the African American Wellness Hub becomes a reality!

Victory for Miguel! ACCE Los Angeles member Miguel Angel Sorto won back $11,865 his landlord had illegally overcharged him in rent. When Miguel's landlord illegally raised his rent, Miguel fought to enforce his rights under the city's rent stabilization laws. The Los Angeles Housing Department investigated Miguel's complaint and determined his landlord had been illegally overcharging him and ordered the landlord to return the money. Miguel received the check for $11,865 on Aug. 8. Miguel's determination shows when we as tenants know our rights and fight back against unfair treatment, we can win!  

On July 11, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to codify the right to free legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction in unincorporated areas of the county. The motion directs the county counsel to draft an ordinance establishing the right to counsel for eligible tenants by FY 2024-2025. ACCE leaders, as part of the Renter's Right to Counsel coalition, spent weeks attending board meetings and giving public comments to ensure this important right is guaranteed for LA County tenants! LA County joins New York City and San Francisco in establishing a renter's right to counsel.

Tenants in the city of San Diego gained expanded protections from eviction in May thanks largely to months of actions, press conferences and lobby visits by ACCE San Diego leaders. The Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance which passed on May 25, and went into effect in June, provides strengthened just-cause protections from the first day of a tenant's lease- short-term rentals excepted- and requires relocation assistance after a no-fault eviction. The ordinance also requires strengthened notification requirements of landlords in cases of a no-fault eviction, and establishes regulations for buyout agreements. The new ordinance is a significant development in a region that had been devoid of strong tenant protections and demonstrates the growing power of renters in San Diego!

After months of organizing, on May 2nd, Oakland City Council voted to pass the responsible Oakland Eviction Moratorium phase out plan which includes permanent just cause eviction protections. Despite fierce opposition and a smear campaign from corporate landlords, Oakland tenants were victorious a responsible phase out and stronger eviction protections.