Protestors gather in downtown Long Beach to lead a march in protesting the conditions of three slum buildings and demanding that conditions improve on Thursday.
A small but solid group of protesters walked the narrow sidewalks of residential downtown Long Beach on Thursday at 3 p.m., holding self-made signs that read: “No more slumlords” and “Long Beach is 4
everyone” while three yellow-vested organizers lead group chants shouting, “They say eviction — we say resistance! They say gentrify — we say occupy!”
As the protesters made their way from 6th Street to Magnolia Avenue, residents within shuttered, narrow apartment buildings watched from their windows. Some residents stood outside their stoops to watch the demonstration pass, while others cheered on the organizers from their balconies. Housing Long Beach community organizer Maria Lopez stood in front of the 426 Magnolia Ave. apartment complex — a whitewashed building partially overlooking an alleyway that runs through downtown.
Lopez said the building is owned by Danny and Fanny Gomez, two landlords who have stakes in at least 10 properties and have been cited for a total of 196 violations such as pest infestation, overflowing dumpsters and deteriorating housing conditions.
“Many of [the residents] have already faced an eviction [notice] and continue to look for appropriate housing for their families — where they don’t have to live in overcrowded homes infested with cockroaches and rats.” Lopez said outside of the complex to a crowd of 15.
The demonstration, titled Renters’ Rights and Slumlord Protest, was organized by Housing Long Beach, an advocacy group dedicated to the establishment of “just-cause eviction protections,” according to their website. The protest was led by two Cal State Long Beach alumni: Josh Butler and Lopez, in honor of National Renter’s Day.
National Renter’s Day started as an opportunity for housing advocates to bring more attention to historical injustices committed by landlords and is observed on Sept. 22 by community organizers and other social rights activists.
The march passed three slum buildings that, according to Lopez, had a substantial number of housing violations but no consequences for these violations. At the final location on Daisy Avenue, Lopez spoke in front of an audience consisting of tenants and community organizers.
“[There are] a total of 99 violations in this building alone,” Lopez said of the deteriorating building. “Who can live in a building where your own city does not force your landlord to recover and repair the violations they have committed?”
The tenants of Daisy Avenue joined the demonstration, some shouting words of support from their windows and others standing among the crowd.
According to HLB, Long Beach renters comprise 58 percent of the city’s population. Though Lopez said there is no hard data on the percentage of CSULB student renters, she said students are impacted by housing and that students tend to move around much more often due to rent increases.
Despite not having the statistics on student renters, Lopez said that since affordable and appropriate housing is a human right, it is of student importance. Lopez said HLB is making strides to expand their campus influence through class presentations, tabling events and a possible HLB chapter at CSULB.
Executive Director of HLB Josh Butler moved to Long Beach in 1992 and has been involved with the grassroots organization for 15 years. Butler said that one of HLB’s primary objectives is getting the Responsible Renter’s Ordinance passed, which Butler said would empower housing rights in Long Beach.
“It’s something that directly benefits Long Beach renters,” Butler said. “If you live in these units, your landlord can’t evict you unless you aren’t paying your rent or violating your lease.”
The Responsible Renter’s Ordinance was proposed by HLB and sets a standard for unlawful eviction, which Lopez said is a rapidly developing issue among communities of color in Long Beach. Unlawful convictions include situations in which the landlord evicts a renter without reason. Lopez said that these types of evictions are generally implemented after a renter asks for a repair in their unit, or files some sort of complaint against the landlord.
Butler said the need for ordinances such as this are inspired by the developing gentrification in the downtown Long Beach community. As downtown Long Beach continues developing, Butler said that tenants and their living spaces are simultaneously threatened.
“When you look down the street and you see this brand new courthouse coming in, you can’t help but wonder: ‘well what’s next for the rest of this neighborhood?’” he said.
Lopez said that low income people of color are disproportionately impacted by gentrification and wrongful evictions. She said that the proposed ordinance is “common sense,” and that disenfranchised renters must combat gentrification.
“There is no other option for communities of color,” Lopez said. “Gentrification is trying to push them out — or price them out.”
Following the march, community members and HLB held a neighborhood block party on Daisy Avenue, where residents were invited for free hot dogs, raspados and chips.
Lopez said HLB plans to continue their efforts in the city of Long Beach through their grassroot advocacy and community relationships.
“People here are section eight, they’re stigmatized, they’re always under attack and we need to stand up for these families.” Lopez said. “These families need us, and we need each other because we know that in numbers there is power.”