Coalitions
ULA
KIWA is on the steering committee of United to House LA (ULA), a citywide coalition of housing justice and labor organizations that campaigned to pass Measure ULA during the November 2022 election. Commonly known as the “mansion tax”, Measure ULA created a one-time transfer tax on high-value properties to fund affordable housing production, homelessness prevention, and social housing. Along with our ULA allies, KIWA is actively involved in implementing Measure ULA so that it addresses housing insecurity and creates good union jobs.
OFLA
Our Future LA (OFLA) is a county-wide coalition of housing, labor, environmental justice, homeless service providers, and other social justice advocates that aims to address the affordable housing and homelessness crisis with regional solutions. As a member of the OFLA steering committee, KIWA helped pass SB 679 (Kamlager) in 2022, which created the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) that has the ability to fund affordable housing production and preservation across Los Angeles County. Together with OFLA, KIWA is fighting to ensure LACAHSA is well-funded and includes oversight from tenants and community-based organizations.
CCWP
KIWA co-founded the California Coalition for Worker Power (CCWP), a coalition of worker centers, worker advocates, labor policy experts, and labor unions dedicated to ensuring that every worker in California has the power to come together and improve their work conditions and their communities. CCWP is working to pass SB 497 (Smallwood-Cuevas), the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Act, which will provide California workers stronger protections if they file complaints and change the gross imbalance of power and reduce workplace abuse. CCWP is also engaged in the “Our Voies, Our Jobs” campaign to create greater protections and resources for workers who face retaliation after speaking up.
ACT-LA
The Alliance for Community Transit – Los Angeles (ACT-LA) is a county-wide coalition that strives to create just, equitable, sustainable transit systems and neighborhoods for all people in Los Angeles, placing the interest of low-income communities and communities of color first as we create a more sustainable region. As a member of the host committee, KIWA is advancing ACT-LA’s campaigns for social housing and transit justice in Los Angeles.
Social housing works by providing city-owned land or leasing existing buildings to community-led organizations to develop and manage housing directly—all benefiting local renters and residents in need of stable homes.
The notion of transit justice is rooted in ACT-LA’s vision for Metro as a “sanctuary for the public”. Within this vision, the train and bus are fareless, consciously part of the region and integrated into people’s daily lives and neighborhoods.