the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Feb 26, 2024
The City of Los Angeles terminated the last pandemic-era renter protections on February 1. The city now allows property owners of rental units to increase their rent by at least 10%, and to collect the unpaid back rent accumulated during the pandemic, which started in April 2020.
These actions will drastically impact low-income workers. In Los Angeles, the average two-bedroom apartment rent is around $2,900, according to Apartments.com, making Los Angeles one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. Nearly a third of renters had household incomes under $30,000 in 2022. Roughly 60% of renters are estimated to be unable to pay the back rent.
Already, Los Angeles landlords doubled their eviction filings last year, reaching around 77,000. That number of evictions is expected to skyrocket even further.
Where will these families end up? Many will be forced into overcrowded or structurally inadequate conditions, threatening their health and well-being. But for sure, these evictions will push many more people to the streets in a city which already has one of the largest homeless populations in the U.S.