Senior residents and tenant activists took their fight to the sidewalk outside the Los Angeles Housing Department offices off Sunset on Tuesday, arguing that no-fault Ellis Act evictions are gutting long-standing communities near Exposition Park. They said owners have started serving eviction notices to households near the 110 and on 39th Street, and that the relocation checks on the table do not come close to paying for comparable housing in the same neighborhood. The rally put a sharper spotlight on growing worries that older rent-controlled buildings are being emptied to make way for higher-end development.
Protesters say relocation offers fall short
Organizers with the Los Angeles Tenants Union and local senior advocates marched to press the city for stronger protections, arguing that landlords are leaning on the Ellis Act to clear out rent-stabilized units, as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles. Protesters pointed to blocks around Exposition Park and along the 110 corridor where older buildings have already been torn down for new projects, and they said families on 39th Street have been handed eviction notices. Demonstrators called for immediate city action and significantly higher relocation funding for seniors who say they cannot find comparable housing nearby.
Ellis Act's footprint in Los Angeles
The Ellis Act allows property owners to withdraw their buildings from the rental market, and tenant groups say that tool has repeatedly been used to wipe out rent-stabilized housing so sites can be redeveloped. The Los Angeles Times reports that the law has been linked to the loss of tens of thousands of rent-stabilized units in the city, and mapping by the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project charts where Ellis Act filings have clustered across neighborhoods. Advocates say that cumulative loss helps explain why a single relocation payment is often nowhere near enough to keep seniors and low-income renters in place.
City response and proposed replacements
In a statement to FOX 11 Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Housing Department said LAHD staff have been working with the 39th Street residents since 2023 and that it is "committed to ensuring that the tenants receive all relocation funds available to them." The department also said that, depending on income, tenants may be eligible to return to one of 120 affordable units planned for the site, language that advocates described as promising but not nearly enough for people who have to move right now. Tenant organizers say the city should push owners for stronger replacement guarantees and increase emergency relocation aid for seniors.
Legal and policy options
City guidance and state law set the rules for Ellis Act withdrawals and relocation assistance, while local planning policies focus on replacement units and occupant protections rather than blocking owners from invoking the state statute, according to the city's planning office and LAHD materials. The Los Angeles City Planning site outlines replacement and renter protections, and the Los Angeles Housing Department Ellis packet describes relocation procedures for displaced tenants. Protesters said that while replacement units might help in the long run, the city also has to fund near-term housing stability for seniors facing immediate displacement.
