Forty LA Forward community members steeped themselves in local campaigns for rent stabilization, affordable housing, social housing, and more. Join (or return to!) the conversation, with updates on organizing work around zoning reform; state fights around rent caps; LARSO (the LA rent stabilization ordinance), and more. Register for the Zoom below, or click here.

Last week, we launched a campaign to save LA City's Unarmed Model of Crisis Response program from the chopping block, ahead of a huge city budget crisis that seeks to close a $1 billion deficit. Join us again to debrief the actions we've taken -- emailing key decisionmakers and making public comment in public meetings -- and help lean into strategic next steps as we countdown just three weeks until the Mayor reveals her budget recommendations! RSVP below or here.

Join us on Friday, March 28 at 1pm to give public comment in support of continued funding for critical unarmed crisis response!

In March 2024, the City of Los Angeles launched the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response pilot program. This program operates in 6 police divisions and diverts 6 types of non-violent 911 calls to unarmed mental health responders instead of traditional police. After a year of operation, this program has proved to be a success, diverting thousands of calls while resolving 96% of calls without police involvement – all with an average response time of 28 minutes, four times quicker than county programs can be deployed.

Despite the success of this program and promise from city officials, the UMCR pilot faces elimination due to the City’s budget crisis. Make your voice heard and tell LA City Council they must continue to fund this essential program!

Never given public comment before? Don’t worry! We have all the tools you need. Sign up below to receive logistical information about meeting on Friday.

One year ago, LA City launched a pilot to divert 6 different call types from LAPD to unarmed crisis response services, including for calls requiring mental health support, substance abuse help, and more. In one year, the UMCR (Unarmed Model of Crisis Response) pilot has diverted more than 6,037 calls from the police to provide 8,339 touchpoints of service -- with 96% of those calls avoiding law enforcement capacity completely. But having demonstrated emerging success for this unarmed diversion program, why would LA think about cutting this program? Is this program in danger during upcoming conversations? Haven't Angelenos been calling for this program for years? Learn more and help us keep this program going -- and growing -- in LA city. RSVP below or here.

Join us for our third Climate Justice working group meeting of the year. We'll feature special guests from Sunrise Movement LA (working on local legislation) and the Make Polluters Pay movement (working on state legislation), as well as hear back from working group members who have met with multiple city offices to triangulate next steps around LA City's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Whether you've joined us in our previous meetings or are brand new, come join us, learn from other climate justice leaders, and jump into our organizing efforts. RSVP below or here.

LA Forward community members plugged into a lot of local housing justice work in 2024: advocating for Venice Dell; building a movement for social housing; supporting funding initiatives like Measure A; pushing for affordable housing in single-family-zoned areas; and more! On Saturday, March 15, from 10am-3pm, we're getting organized for 2025! We invite all our community members interested in housing justice advocacy across LA City and LA County to come in-person for community-building, hear from local housing justice groups about upcoming opportunities for change in 2025, and decide how they'd like to be involved in the coming months. Lunch provided. This event was rescheduled from February 22. Sign up below.

Last month, LA Forward Institute community members started diving into Mayor Bass' Executive Director 9, which creates a path to create a Capital Improvement Plan for the City of LA -- a backwards-planned vision to ensure that LA has the sidewalks, streets, lights, parks and overall infrastructure it needs to serve all Angelenos with excellent and equitable neighborhood systems across the city. Since our first teach-in, LA Forward community members have met with a handful of council offices and members of the Mayor's office, and want to report back about what they learned, so that we can figure out what advocacy steps we want to take next. Join us to catch-up on the latest around the CIP, and to learn what role(s) you can take to help ensure the CIP process is transparent, equitable, and one that engages as much public voice as possible. RSVP below, or here.

Join members in the Sawtelle area who have been building community through monthly meetings since March 2024. If you're in or around Sawtelle and want to connect with other community members wanting to make your neighborhood more and more of the neighborhood you know it can be, RSVP below. We will also debrief our January community canvassing efforts. This event is hosted in-person by a fellow Sawtelle resident! Address will be shared upon RSVP!

Dive into the real impact of federal actions on Angelenos and what is being done at the local level to push back. For this monthly meeting, we will be joined by a guest speaker who will provide firsthand insights on the challenges we face and the strategies being implemented to defend against the harmful policies of the Trump administration. This is a chance to ask questions, learn about ongoing efforts, and discover ways you can take meaningful action. Staying plugged in is how we build power. Whether you’re new to LA Forward or a longtime member, we welcome you!

RSVP for the Monthly Meeting below, or at this link.

Immigrants have been, are, and will continue to be an integral part of the fabric of our LA communities! Many of us have been attending (or holding!) Know Your Rights trainings, joining rapid response networks, and engaging with some level of direct support, but what policy solutions can be passed locally to support immigrants? Join us as we learn from leaders of the Immigrants Are LA coalition about their work to support and protect immigrants through policy -- and maybe you'll get some new ideas for fighting for justice in LA! RSVP below, or here.

For the last few months, people in LA have been asking difficult questions like: "Is this a city?" "Does it have a government?" "What is the firetruck situation -- does the city have them or are we supposed to have our own?" “Can you put a fire hose on a normal car?" With LA Power Hour, former public employee Hayes Davenport looks into these questions and more, bringing together LA’s leaders and entertainers to either fix the city or start a new one.

Featuring Demi Adejuyigbe, Jason Concepcion, Krystle Drew, Andrew Ti

Purchase tickets HERE.

Hayes Davenport is the host of the podcast Hollywood Handbook, a TV writer (Family Guy, Eastbound and Down), a former staffer at LA City Hall, and the writer of the newsletter Big City Heat.

Doors at 7:00pm, show starts at 7:30pm

Seating begins 15 minutes before showtime, there is NO LATE SEATING. Seats are assigned on a first come first served basis, from the front of the theatre to the back. If you want to sit closer, be sure to arrive earlier.

Shows start no later than 10 MINUTES after the scheduled show time.

LA Forward is pleased to be cosponsoring an event with East Valley Indivisibles — a forum with elected officials who represent the Valley at different levels of government. This is a chance to find out what our electeds are doing to protect us under the new administration and to learn what we as activists and citizens can do to help protect the most vulnerable. Speakers include State Senator Caroline Menjivar, Assemblymember Nick Schultz, and Councilmember Nithya Raman. Please join us and - very important because the Temple requires pre-registration for security reasons - RSVP here.

We had incredible turnout at our Climate Justice working group earlier this month, and during this meeting, we're going to focus on ONE specific aspect of our strategy: Strategies to influence LA City's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which will eventually coordinate LA City departments toward meeting ambitious climate goals, and ideally in a way that engages frontline communities and takes serious the need for racial and class equity, among other important criteria. Join us to prep for future meetings with Council Offices who can make this happen! RSVP below or here. 

Join us for this in-person gathering. We will be building on conversations we began in December around 2025 organizing priorities, as well as new implications of the fires. Whether you came to our last gathering, or this is the first time joining us at a regional convening, we welcome you. We’ll be meeting at the Healing and Justice Center in El Monte. RSVP to save your spot!

In our February monthly meeting, we’ll discuss how to navigate the constant stream of news about the Trump administration’s infuriating actions. We’ll share strategies to avoid feeling overwhelmed, stuck in rage, hopeless and instead, how to stay engaged for the long haul. We’ll also get a report-back on the regional convenings, hear major themes that came up across regions, and learn what next steps we’re taking to meet with elected officials. Register for the zoom using the form below, or it doesn’t work go to this link.

Join us for this in-person gathering. We will be building on conversations we began in December around 2025 organizing priorities, as well as new implications of the fires. Whether you came to our last gathering, or this is the first time joining us at a regional convening, we welcome you. RSVP for the event most convenient to you, whether it’s by date or location (coming soon).

Join us for this in-person gathering. We will be building on conversations we began in December around 2025 organizing priorities, as well as new implications of the fires. Whether you came to our last gathering, or this is the first time joining us at a regional convening, we welcome you. RSVP for the event most convenient to you, whether it’s by date or location (coming soon).

Join other like-minded community members who want to learn about and advocate for local climate justice policies in 2025 and beyond. At this first meeting, we'll follow-up on our work to advocate for a just Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) for LA City; preview opportunities for public voice in LADWP's most recent LA100 plan; and strategize in support of electrification rules at the Air Quality Management District. No idea what these things mean? We'll break it down! RSVP for the Zoom below, or at this link.

Building on last Thursday's teach-in on Mayor Bass's directive toward a Capital Improvement Plan, we're gathering community members who want to move from "learning" to "doing" in making the Capital Improvement Plan process one that could lead to a more equitable and just LA city for all Angelenos. On this Zoom, we'll be planning strategic meetings with various public officials, to see what they know and believe about the CIP, and to help us determine where our advocacy could be most valuable in the months to come. Join us at the beginning of our organizing journey by RSVPing below, or HERE.

Join us for this in-person gathering. We will be building on conversations we began in December around 2025 organizing priorities, as well as new implications of the fires. Whether you came to our last gathering, or this is the first time joining us at a regional convening, we welcome you. We’ll be meeting at Lawless Brewing in North Hollywood. RSVP to save your spot!

Join us for this in-person gathering. We will be building on conversations we began in December around 2025 organizing priorities, as well as new implications of the fires. Whether you came to our last gathering, or this is the first time joining us at a regional convening, we welcome you.

This gathering will be held at Palms Park, off of Overland Ave. Please RSVP below.

In the final months of 2024, Mayor Karen Bass put forth Executive Directive #9, setting the stage for the City of LA to develop its first-ever Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) -- a comprehensive backwards-plan for building and investing in LA’s streets, sidewalks, parks, and public spaces, in ways that could more equitably serve communities across the city. LA is the only major city in California without a CIP! Find out more about what a CIP is, how it works, and how YOU can play a role in its creation, so that your voice supports the design of a city we can all live, work, and play in. RSVP below, or at this link.

This teach-in is being held by LA Forward Institute's Transportation Justice working group, with help from our partners at Investing in Place and ACT-LA.

Join us for this in-person gathering. We will be building on conversations we began in December around 2025 organizing priorities, as well as new implications of the fires. Whether you came to our last gathering, or this is the first time joining us at a regional convening, we welcome you.

We will be meeting at Audiograph Beer in Downtown LA. We will have food and non-alcoholic drinks to share, feel free to purchase anything else you would like to enjoy. They have a parking lot, plus parking on the street after 6pm is free!

Join us for this community check-in! Help us knock on doors in the Sawtelle neighborhood to help understand what needs there are in the community. Checking in is one way to give back right now. We’ll train you, no experience required. You don’t have to live in Sawtelle to participate. We’ll be meeting at Stoner Park near the skate park. RSVP below.

One week ago today, Angelenos woke up to a city that had been irrevocably transformed overnight. After years of recording so-called emergency episodes, this is the emergency we imagined was possible but hoped to never see.

Join us Thursday, January 16 at 8 p.m. for a very special live show held on Zoom. Bring your questions about the fires, the city and county response, and where LA goes next.

Register below to receive the Zoom info, or click this zoom registration link.

We are heartbroken to see the devastation caused by the fires across our county. Join us for this virtual gathering where we will begin processing the emotional toll of this past week, hear about ways you can support those affected, and discuss our plan for moving forward as a community of Angelenos committed to building a fair, flourishing future for everyone. RSVP below or at this link.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND WILL NOT BE HAPPENING ON 1/7 — stay tuned for more details

This month will be incredibly important to stopping the obstruction of the Venice Dell affordable housing project. This is not just a neighborhood win for Venice; this sets precedent for all of LA: will our city officials be able to halt projects that have already been approved by council? No! Join us Tuesday, 1/7 at 7pm for some new urgent calls to action as soon as this week.

Last week, 300 of you took action to fight for the Venice Dell Affordable Housing Project at two different commission hearings. The results are mixed. Join us to find out what happened and what we need you to do next to ensure this desperately needed affordable housing project is built. RSVP below, or at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIudemurDIqE9xR7GmFDx95ArI1N8OQcJv7#/registration

So many of us have energy to build community and power coming out of November’s elections. This is where we are getting started — the first of multiple meetings we will be holding in YOUR area as we head into 2025. Join us to start the next cycle of our organizing work.

We will be meeting at Long Beach Beer Lab (Zaferia) on their heated patio, but dress warmly in case!

So many of us have energy to build community and power coming out of November’s elections. This is where we are getting started — the first of multiple meetings we will be holding in YOUR area as we head into 2025. Join us to start the next cycle of our organizing work.