Los Angeles Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez’s office Wednesday announced motions intended to financially support wildfire survivors and bolster fire preparedness within hillside communities located in her First District.
One of her motions called for a report on establishing a guaranteed basic income program for workers who lost jobs as a result of the fires that started Jan. 7.
Hernandez said the fires have “upended the lives of countless Angelenos.”
“This legislation is about creating a safety net for those who need it most — our service workers, small businesses, and residents in high-risk areas — while investing in proactive measures to ensure we’re better prepared,” she said in a statement.
Hernandez said a guaranteed income program is necessary in light of nearly 10,000 applications that were submitted in one week to relief funds created by organizations and nonprofits.
If the motion is approved, the City Council could direct the Economic Workforce Development Department to provide one-time grants for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, as well as to explore anti-harassment measures to prevent displacement of these entrepreneurs.
Hernandez said she has also requested the City Attorney’s Office to report on possible measures to prohibit commercial rent gouging, freeze commercial rents, and limit no-fault and non-payment evictions for small businesses tenants impacted by the fires.
The councilwoman also authored a motion seeking to allocate $50,000 from her discretionary funds to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation’s Community Emergency Response Team program — designed to train people in fire safety, search and rescue and disaster medical operations.
Hernandez also sought another $75,000 to further bolster fire preparedness in her district, encompassing parts of northeast Los Angeles. Some of that money would be allocated to MySafe:LA, a nonprofit that provides fire prevention and disaster readiness programming.