Elevate the 28th Newsletter – July Issue

WELCOME

Greetings Neighbor,

As we embrace the warmth and vibrancy of summer, I’m pleased to bring you the latest updates in our monthly newsletter. This season is a great time for community, reflection and action, and I’m gratified to connect with you in this new edition.

In this issue, you’ll read about our latest Coffee with the Senator event as well as an awarded grant that will assist with youth homelessness in our city. You’ll also learn about my recent trip to Vienna, where I learned about a strategic model for creating more affordable housing across California.

We encourage you to stay connected with us. You’re welcome to reach out to our District or Capitol staff for assistance with accessing state services. And feel free to visit our website to get more updates, submit scheduling requests or read our recent media coverage. 

Warm Regards,

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Senator, 28th District

Coffee with the Senator Connects with South LA Neighbors

In June, we had a wonderful time hosting our Coffee with the Senator event for the South Los Angeles community. Held at the Junipero Serra Public Library, the event drew nearly 100 local residents and stakeholders who gathered together to greet their State Senator and regional neighbors.

Our coffee events are held throughout the year to share legislative updates, district news and constituent services. Community residents also have an opportunity to meet district staffers and receive resourceful handouts while grabbing free coffee and refreshments.

Our next coffee event will be held at 10 am on Saturday, August 24 at the Mary McCloud Bethune Public Library near Exposition Park. To RSVP, please visit here.

Vienna Makes Powerful Case for Affordable Housing

This summer, I had the fortunate opportunity to join more than two dozen state, county and local officials, housing experts, and municipal homelessness and home ownership technicians in Vienna, Austria to learn how we can help California weather our housing crisis. During our visit, we embarked on a five-day master class focused on affordable housing solutions modeled after the city of Vienna, which is considered as one of the world’s most livable cities.

The learning experience was a collision course of cultural values and policy that demonstrates how Vienna provides affordable housing for its nearly two million residents. Utilizing their four pillars of sustainability, affordable economics, beautiful architecture and housing for all, Vienna has built a successful model of providing affordable housing at scale, resulting in relatively nonexistent homelessness in the city.

Special thanks to the Global Policy Leadership Academy and the Viennese government for offering this master class on reimagining community.  

$3.85M Grant Awarded to 28th District to Combat Youth Homelessness

The 28th Senate District of Los Angeles has been awarded a $3.85 million grant aimed at addressing and preventing youth homelessness. The Family Homelessness Challenge Grant, administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, is part of a statewide effort to provide housing and supportive services to vulnerable youth as they transition into adulthood.

Through the grant, supportive services will be provided to youth who have identified themselves as experiencing homelessness, involved in the state’s foster care or probation system, or have identified as LGBTQIA+. Services offered include housing support, wrap-around case management, financial literacy, education and employment assistance, and financial assistance.

The Family Homelessness Challenge Grants Program provides competitive grants and technical assistance to local jurisdictions to promote rapid innovation and expand promising practices to create scalable solutions that can be shared across the state to address and ultimately end family homelessness.

Edward James Olmos Visits State Capitol

I’m often reminded of how many renowned figures we meet at the State Capitol who are making a difference. People like Edward James Olmos, who was recognized in May for his work with the Youth Cinema Project, which provides training for Latino students who aspire to pursue careers in cinema. 

The Youth Cinema Project is a signature initiative of the Latino Film Institute that Mr. Olmos launched decades ago to educate, advance and empower storytellers. For more information on these organizations, please visit the Youth Cinema Project and Latino Film Institute.