To the editor: You recently ran a story on low- and moderate-income renters possibly facing eviction. An advocate for low-income housing in single-family neighborhoods, Maria Briones, asked, “Why do only rich people have the right to have a beautiful house, beautiful surroundings?”
Shoving affordable apartment buildings into single-family neighborhoods would not actually put their tenants in “beautiful houses,” but it would deprive neighbors of the “beautiful surroundings” to which Briones feels entitled.
You also published another article on tenants who organized to save rent-controlled apartments and their ongoing efforts to build equity. A leader in the campaign, Mary Carmen Martinez, said their eventual success would make her feel “like I’ve accomplished my goals.”
Briones’ punitive approach to affordable housing destroys the character and appeal of single-family neighborhoods. Martinez’s productive approach improves the stability and comfort of less-advantaged neighborhoods. Hats off to Martinez and the activists and programs that make Los Angeles a better city.
Shelley Wagers, Los Angeles
