October 9, 2023
Re: Item 16-F, 10-10-23 Council Agenda; Support Barrington Plaza Tenants
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:
Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) urges you to adopt a resolution in support of the tenants of Barrington Plaza, as they fight mass eviction by the building’s owner, Douglas Emmett Inc.
Corporate landlord Douglas Emmett Inc. is attempting to evict more than 500 rent-controlled tenants from the Barrington Plaza Apartments in West Los Angeles. Douglas Emmett Inc. also owns large rent-controlled apartment complexes in Santa Monica totalling 940 units, and has a corporate headquarters in our City.
Douglas Emmett Inc is using the Ellis Act (which allows owners to “go out of the rental housing business”) to evict everyone, however they do not appear to be going out of the rental housing business at all — just emptying the buildings to remodel them to add sprinkler systems, and, ultimately, higher income renters.
While the Barrington Plaza tenants have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the evictions, we urge Councilmembers to act today in support of the tenants and against these threatened evictions, and issue a resolution. Once adopted, please direct staff to send copies of the resolution to the Barrington Plaza Tenants Association, LA Mayor Karen Bass, the LA Councilmember that represents the tenants of Barrington Plaza, and to Douglas Emmett Inc., headquartered in Santa Monica as well as any other parties deemed appropriate. Thank you.