Hello Kind Supporters,
Good morning, and happy election day, June 2nd!
First and foremost, an update regarding our lawsuit to protect seven rent-controlled apartment buildings on Carlton Way and the homes of the tenants who live there from a pending luxury complex proposal. With the help of the George Abrahams Foundation, we have sued. The City of Los Angeles is attempting to have our case dismissed before we can argue the issues before a judge. The city does not want our case heard. We have extremely valid arguments that are dangerous to them. They have retained a very high-end Sacramento law firm to help them try to get our case thrown out. That is where we are currently. Our lawyers have a June deadline to respond, and we will keep you updated. How you can help is by donating to our legal support fund HERE
Leading this legal action is the George Abrahams Foundation (GAF) and the Carlton Serrano Tenants Association (CSTA). We are represented by the law firm Everett Delano & Delano.
Legal action is expensive, and we are committed to seeing this case through. Our first fundraising milestone is $25,000, which will contribute to the initial phase of the lawsuit. It is critical to reach this goal quickly to keep our case strong and moving forward. Every donation, whether $25 or $2,500, helps us reach this first milestone and defend rent-controlled housing in our neighborhood. We believe in the strength of our case, and we are optimistic about our chances. With your support, we can win!
Donate HERE
Today, Tuesday, June 2nd, is election day in Los Angeles. Regarding our district, Council District 13 (CD13), the only City Council candidate to mention our fight on Carlton Way has been East Hollywood Neighborhood Council member Colter Carlisle, who is running to unseat the incumbent, Hugo Soto-Martinez. We'd like to thank Colter for mentioning Carlton Way in his debates and in many of his campaign videos. If you live in CD13 please consider voting for Colter. CD13 neighborhoods include: Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Glassell Park, East Hollywood, Koreatown, Larchmont Village, and Historic Filipinotown.
Regarding the Mayoral Candidates, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has not acknowledged the fight on Carlton Way, and her office has referred us to the CD13 incumbent, Hugo Soto-Martinez. Hugo's office finally responded to our phone calls and emails - albeit in a condescending way, stating that they couldn't do anything as they are complying with State of California Density Bonus laws and their hands were tied. We strongly disagree, which is why we filed two appeals and are now suing the City for siding with corrupt luxury developers over tenants and community members (ROM Investments is owned by, developer Leeor Maciborski who was fined $17000 for excess City Council contributions ).
Additionally, Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman as a member of the Los Angeles Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, voted to approve a project that would demolish our seven rent-controlled apartment buildings on Carlton Way on September 9, 2025. As you know, the approved development replaces occupied rent-stabilized homes with a large luxury complex featuring high-end amenities, including a rooftop swimming pool and open-plan workspace areas. We do not consider Nithya Raman a friend of Carlton Way.
Mayoral Candidate Rae Huang seems to be the only viable mayoral candidate to protect truly affordable housing in Los Angeles.
Additionally, City Controller Kenneth Mejia is a great ally for affordable housing in Los Angeles.
Perhaps the most important takeaway we have learned in our fight is that there isn’t just one housing market in Los Angeles: there are submarkets. This is rarely acknowledged in policy debates, but it is integral. This new 105-foot building would add housing in one submarket (Class A luxury housing, where there’s the least demand) and reduce it in another (Class C affordable housing, where there’s the most demand). The supply is Class A, but the demand is Class C! We need truly affordable housing, not luxury housing!
The proposed demolition and replacement with unaffordable luxury units reflect a broader and troubling pattern in Los Angeles, where community needs and housing stability are often sacrificed in favor of profit-driven development. What kind of city are we becoming if we push out our most vulnerable neighbors to make room for high-end apartments that sit empty or serve only the wealthy? We need leadership that protects people, not just property values. These tenants deserve better, and our community deserves better. This development will not only displace residents but will chip away at the character and cultural fabric of East Hollywood. Once these rent-controlled units are gone, they are gone forever.
There is a great need to build new affordable housing. At the same time, we must preserve our
existing affordable housing stock. Unless decision-makers understand that we need to do both,
preserve and produce, we will be doomed to a failed housing policy and our crisis will get worse.
Thank you again for your support! Please vote today and make your voices heard. If you can, please donate to our legal fund HERE.
With your help, we can win!
Justin Maurer & Noemi Santo, co-founders, Carlton Serrano Tenants Association (CSTA)