Downtown Recovery Plan, Assemblymember Haney Speaks to Downtown Residents
California Assemblymember Matt Haney spoke with downtown residents on February 13 about downtown recovery. He was invited by the DTLA RA (Downtown Los Angeles Residents Association). Sade Elhawary, South Park state representative, also attended along with 75 residents who gathered at Il Caffe on Broadway at 9th. SPNA (South Park Neighborhood Association) attended and spoke after the meeting with Haney about the needs of South Park.
Casey Horton, co-founder of DTLA RA, reminded us that downtown has more residents, at 90,000+, than Santa Monica. Attention needs to be paid to the residents and businesses in downtown. Haney added that safe and clean living is the bedrock of a successful downtown for both residents and businesses.
Haney talked about San Francisco’s “street crisis response team” (SCRT) to aid drug and homeless issues on the street. SCRT is a 24/7, 911-dispatched program providing community-based, non-law enforcement care to individuals experiencing mental health and substance use crises. Comprised of paramedics/EMTs, behavioral health clinicians, and peer specialists, the teams offer rapid, trauma-informed, on-site stabilization, and connect those in need to long-term care.
Haney also shared an example of activating storefronts in downtown. When a business vacated a well-traveled street in San Francisco, officials contacted a popular food truck vendor in the area, offered six months free rent, and now the vendor and the people of San Francisco are enjoying the success of those efforts.
Haney chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Downtown Recovery which is pushing a 13-bill package to revitalize city centers struggling with high commercial vacancies and reduced foot traffic. Eight of the 13 have been signed into law including the following six:
AB 507: Facilitates converting vacant office buildings into housing by streamlining approvals.
AB 342: Allows local governments to create "Hospitality Zones" where eligible venues can serve alcohol until 4 am on certain nights to support nightlife and tourism.
AB 1190: Protects residents from predatory third-party websites offering DMV services.
AB 255: Permits up to 25% of state housing funds to support drug-free recovery housing.
AB 671: Accelerated approval for restaurant building plans.
AB 476: Copper theft penalties increased to prevent more damage to street lighting.
According to Haney, who studied urban development at UC Berkeley before earning a law degree, there is no “sugarcoating” this reality, nor its urgency. “The goal is to bring people to downtown,” Haney said. “Downtowns cannot survive without people.” With 90,000 already living in downtown LA, let’s make sure they stay!
By Debra Shrout