About a dozen years ago, I drove Yola Dore home to her apartment on Norton. She parked her walker at the bottom of a long flight of uneven steps. I waited and watched until she got to the top, sometimes walking sideways, one step at a time. There has to be a better way to age in place. Henry Scott wrote about it here: https://wehoonline.com/2014/07/24/holding-proposal-moving-council-candidate-larry-block-wants-make-easier-seniors-move-1st-floor-dwellings/
When the unit on the first floor became vacant the landlord would re-rent the space at market rate. Yola couldn’t switch units. My thought was ‘what if’ the landlord upgraded the upper unit to market rate and allow Yola to move into the first floor unit. The difference was slight in dollars but gigantic in what it could do to help seniors and those with disabilities age in place. I put pen to paper, did some math, and presented the idea to Rent Stabilization. The notion was dead on arrival. There hadn’t been any significant changes to Costa-Hawkins in years. Having a good idea is great but knowing how to execute it is another matter.
After Sepi Shyne was elected in 2020 she told me she was going to move on this item. Shyne and Erickson then brought this item forward, and with Assemblymember Zbur’s office, advanced AB 1620. What was once a pipedream on Norton Ave., feeling sorry for this old lady, is now a reality. This year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1620 into law. “The Yola Dore” bill, as I named it, into law of the State of California. https://wehoonline.com/2023/10/12/governor-newsom-signs-ab1620-yola-dore-bill/
Shyne was gracious at all times when it came to a collaborative spirit on a common-sense idea to help seniors and those with disabilities age in place. There’s a lot of heat out there with campaign season but I’d like to publicly thank Sepi Shyne for giving me an opportunity to share in the success of AB 1620. Sepi moved the item – got the job done – and brought Erickson aboard to advance this legislation into law. Sepi kept her promise. AB 1620 may be the most important success of Shyne’s legacy. She kept her word.
This law and concept is very flawed, even though its “heart” was in a good place. I do hope that exceptions can be taken into consideration when it is not an apples to apples swap. For example, we have a tenant who illegally took over possession of a below market unit, is a hoarder, does not take care of the condition of their unit at all, and makes our day-to-day lives hell. It is very bothersome to have to witness one’s investment and property be so carelessly disregarded. All of our first floor units have been remodeled and the owner… Read more »
Who cares if you are shot in the head by “DEFUND The POLICE” crime before you can even get to your stabilized apt.
Fluff BS.
Leave the city, move to Hell after the criminal mess this creature caused.
No disrespect to Mayor Erickson and Councilmember Shyne as their support for AB 1620 was important and much appreciated, but the real heroes of AB 1620 are the current and former City staff (Elizabeth Savage, Alison Regan, Jonathon Holub and many others as well), the attorneys at Bet Tzedek and the Legal Aide Foundation of LA who, long before Larry was providing drop-offs on Norton Ave and before the language of AB 1620 was written, were advocating on behalf of their clients, our neighbors, and successfully convincing property owners to allow such unit swaps arguing it was considered a reasonable… Read more »
Elizabeth Savage spoke with me after the proposal, she appreciated the concept and continued to work on the idea, and communicated that to prior to leaving city hall. Elizabeth shared the hurdles and was very helpful moving this forward.
We should then say “job well done to all” who were involved; you are right to point out the hard efforts of staff and probably our City lobbyist, who often go unrecognized even though they did the real grunt work getting this thru the legislature.
Thank you for letting history record facts; too often politics records spin and that spin (a/k/a distortions and lies) is taken as gospel.
With Sepi’s exit from politics, it’s fair to reflect on some of her accomplishments, and to also learn from the mistakes. We’ve seen how leaders retaliating against critics or dismissive of residents can have a caustic ripple effect throughout the community. I’ve participated in toxic discourse in the past, meme warfare, protest etc. While the issues I raised especially around civil liberties were (and still are) valid, I believe only empathy and truth can transform hearts and minds. I hope Sepi has learned the same lesson.
That’s nice but the rest of her garbage actions far outweigh this.
Exactly, zero praise for Sepi whatsoever.
Wonder if now Shyne will endorse Larry for City Council. If she does it could be a game changer.
So she did one thing that it was her job to do! And it’s so unusual that it makes the news.
I give credit where credit is due and on this Shyne advocated for good. This does not erase the overall tenor and tone of her tenure as being the single most divisive and vindictive person to ever hold office in West Hollywood, so far. Through word and action she has remained an anti-gay-white-male bigot. That’s her legacy, and this one issue will be only a footnote on that bigger and more damaging legacy in the history of our once-fair hamlet.
Sepi is a good person. I do not agree with all/most of her decisions. She does not deserve hate, hurled her way. That being said, it is politis, and people do not seem be able to conduct an intellectual conversation about their disagreements, without hatred.
Yes, thank god she’s never shown any disdain for folks at public council meetings.
You mean you’re incapable of defending yourself.? If you don’t like her personality, you don’t vote for her, it’s that simple. If a person shows disdain you call them out of course, but you have to have a better argument than they do, to do it in a way that’s credible.
There are so many things wrong with this law. I’m not sure why there is some feeling landlords out for profit are there to solve every misfortune in the world. And it has nothing to do with seniors, or the nice sounding “aging in place”. Anyone can become disabled. Let’s say an 18 year old is renting a second floor unit, they get drunk and crack their skull open due to irresponsible drunken behavior, and they become disabled. The landlord now has to house this irresponsible person for their rest of their life. It’s not right. As usual, we reward… Read more »
I’m curious, what would you suggest the irresponsible drunk 18 y/o who is now disabled and living on a fixed income for the rest of his life should do about his living situation?
I’m not sure why the 18 year old would not continue to have the same rent increases as allowed by law in the lower unit as in the upper one, but I do see your bigger point. Investors in income property are not running a charity; it’s a business! It is their source of income. Many landlords own one multi-unit building that was purchased to provide for their retirement, never counting on the regulations from their own city and state to limit that income with sometimes ridiculous laws always in favor of the tenant that the building owner has to… Read more »
If the imaginary 18 year old becomes disabled, they likely can’t work and likely can’t pay any rent. They need to be evicted like any other non-payer of agreed rent, as the landlord isn’t running a charity, as we both agree.
I’m glad you asked. Our society/our system rewards people with good behavior and people who planned well, and therefore punishes those who do not. The imaginary 18 year old probably can’t plan that well, so it is in their interest to be on good behavior so as not to risk ruining their life. There need to be consequences for drunk behavior. I would say if they can’t work and can’t pay the agreed rent, they need to be evicted, and hope the State or their family will do something for them. That is our system of government. Sadly, people can… Read more »
“Our society/our system rewards people with good behavior and people who planned well, and therefore punishes those who do not.” – not only untrue but insanely prejudicial and only something someone born into great privilege would ever state. Your true colors always shine through…and, ironically, your wonderful “planning” hasn’t paid off the way you thought since you’re always whining about rent-control affecting your bottom line.
Would you consider an 18 year old having a stroke irresponsible? Maybe developing a truly physical impairment? How about an auto accident? So many to choose from. Take your pick WehoQueen.
Larry, as the owner and publisher of wehoonline/wehoville, your authored articles are NOT OpEds. Please just label them as regular articles and ratchet down the narcissism.
Its my opinion, its my thought and perspective. Sepi kept her word on this item and deserves to be acknowledged.
I am not commenting on the content of the article, but how you label your opinion. As the owner and Publisher of wehoonline/wehoville, your articles are not op-eds.
You should tell that to all of the major newspapers.
With all the harm Shyne has done to this city I cannot shower her with praise for keeping her word on this item. I don’t respect her, at all. You’re a better man than me, Larry. Counting the days until she’s off the council.