As landlords engaged in predatory tactics, hiking rent by as much as 150%, community organizers and working-class tenants like Lopez have been urging elected officials to instate a countywide eviction moratorium and rent freeze.
But reports of price-gouging have ballooned more than 50 times since governor Gavin Newsom’s 7 January emergency declaration, according to a report released Monday by the Rent Brigade, an independent collective that Kirk formed with tenant advocates, web programmers and housing researchers.
Tenants demand protections as LA fires exacerbate housing crisis: ‘Huge source of stress’ Renters are not only facing an escalation in rent prices but also pressure to evict apartments from landlords.
Over the past week, the Rent Brigade has flagged 800 more listings that exceeded the legal limit for rent increases, said Phil Meyer, a data analyst with the collective.
“If we just let people get evicted, if we let them become homeless and lose them to other cities, we’re going to look back on this moment and wish we could have done something differently,” said Chelsea Kirk, a tenant organizer and director of policy and advocacy at the non-profit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy.
