Parents and teachers urged the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to convert its abandoned and vacant buildings into housing for families who are homeless or facing eviction from their homes and have children in their schools.
It is estimated that more than 400 abandoned buildings are owned by LAUSD while there are more than 40,000 homeless students attending the district’s school campuses.
Outside one of those abandoned buildings, located at 1215 Miramar Street in downtown Los Angeles, where a charter school was supposed to be, parents and teachers raised their voices, shouting in unison over and over again, “When we fight, “We won.”
The building is located in an area that has experienced one of the highest rates of evictions and displacement of students and families in the region.
“I have an eviction case. It worries me a lot because we don’t know if we will have a home. Rents in the area are very expensive and I have no way to pay them, which causes me a lot of frustration, and means that I will have to live very far from the schools my children go to,” said Lucina Caro, a single mother. with two children ages 16 and 12 who attend LAUSD schools.
“I ask the superintendent and the board of directors for help. Keep in mind that there are many families like mine who are in the same situation. If something is not done, the school district will continue to lose students,” he warned.
Belem García, a mother of six who has lived in LAUSD District 9 for 20 years, said she was evicted on April 1 and was homeless for a month and a half because she couldn’t find affordable housing.
“I had to move to the city of Compton because housing here is very expensive, but four of my children still go to LAUSD schools. That causes problems for me because they have to travel from Compton to Los Angeles, and there is a lot of traffic, and the Metro is dangerous.”
He said that this causes his children to be late to class and that they are constantly reported to him for being late.
“I’m going to have to transfer them to Compton schools next semester; and LAUSD will lose three students.”
For this reason, he stated that they are asking that the empty lots be converted into housing so that they do not lose their students; and in turn, the students do not lose.
“Our children are used to their teachers. I see my 14-year-old son worried because I am going to change him at the end of the semester. Please, more housing for students!” he exclaimed.
He said that in the abandoned building on Miramar Street, many families can live, without having to fight, and be worried about where they are going to take their children to live.
Gloria Martínez, treasurer of the teachers union United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) said that in all Los Angeles schools, more than 40,000 students walk into their classroom without having a place to call home that night.
“Even though homelessness has decreased slightly in the city, LAUSD saw an increase in homeless students in the last school year.”
He emphasized that it is absolutely unacceptable for any LAUSD student to be homeless.
“Children deserve a safe place to return to after school. “They deserve to wake up and go to school without worrying about where to return that night.”
He showed that LAUSD has the power to make an impact, as it is the third largest landowner in the county and the second largest in the city of Los Angeles.
“It is time for us to put the interests of our most vulnerable students front and center, ahead of corporations, not only by building affordable housing but by protecting renters, regardless of their status.”
Rocío Rivas, LAUSD Board member for District 2, said evicted mothers, whose children can no longer attend LAUSD schools, have raised alarm bells.
“We have to do more and faster. The evacuation of families affects us in the classrooms because students suffer from anxiety; and when students are lost in the district, teachers are lost. So we have to do something now; and yes, the district is doing something, but they are very slow.”
LAUSD spokespeople responded that they recognize the housing shortage in Los Angeles and California and are working with local and state organizations to increase the supply of affordable housing for communities, including the complex. Many Mansions which opened in March.
“In the spring, the District initiated an expression of interest request for opportunities to initiate housing projects on available land throughout the district.”
He said they are also close to completing a stakeholder engagement process to assess the housing needs of their workforce.
“Addressing the affordable housing crisis has also been central to our work with our labor partners, which is why we signed historic compensation increases for our entire workforce.”