PRESS RELEASE- 600 to march on 7/29/08 - Wyvernwood Community

EL COMITE DE LA ESPERANZA

PRESS RELEASE



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EVENT DATE: 7/29/08

TIME: 5:30PM

Contact: Elena Popp 310/704-8785

Gumaro Ovieda 323/806-6291

Irene Garcia 323/867-3355



LOCATION: 2808 Camulos Place, LA, CA (Boyle Heights) and then March to Puente Learning Center 501 S. Boyle Avenue, Los Angeles, 90033 to attend a Forum sponsored by Councilmember Huizar and voice their concerns directly to the Councilmember.



Over 600 families, residents of the Wyvernwood Community in Boyle Heights, will gather today to voice their opposition to plans to demolish all 1178 units in the historic development and replace them with 4,400, primarily luxury units.



The proposed project, one of 26 development projects slated for the Boyle Heights community in the next 5-10 years, will result in the displacement of over 6000 residents, severely reduce the availability of affordable rent controlled housing, severely impact traffic and congestion, and catapult the gentrification of Boyle Heights.



The community of Boyle Heights faces massive redevelopment in the next decade. Boyle Heights is an area of the City that has been home to predominantly low income Latino families for the past several decades and is now slated to become the city’s next gentrifying neighborhood.



City Council member Jose Huizar has taken donations from the developer and prior to the last election refused to express either his opposition to the project or his support of the tenant’s position of no displacement and no rent increases. Councilmember Huizar refused to attend a meeting with over 800 residents to address their concerns.



The residents of Wyvernwood will march to the Puente Learning Center at ADDRESS where six of their members will address Councilmember Jose Huizar.



The tenants have vowed to fight against any development plans that will result in demolition of the historic buildings, displacement of any tenants, loss of rent controlled units or rent increases, loss of green space or have adverse impacts on traffic and congestion.