Congressman Tony Cárdenas presented a check for $500,000 in Community Project Funding to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA Family Housing to renovate the Saticoy Gardens Apartments, a permanent supportive housing complex located in Van Nuys.
Cárdenas and Bass, when asked for a response to the results of the recent election, emphasized that the work for the unhoused would continue. “No matter who is in the White House … and no matter who controls the House or the Senate, we’re going to constantly make sure that we fight for the people of Los Angeles,” said Cárdenas.
“We will not allow anyone to divide us or to pit groups against each other,” added Bass. “Angelenos will continue to stick together. We’ve done that before and we’ll do that again,”
The funds for Saticoy Gardens will support needed renovations for the 30-unit apartment building to help improve the overall living conditions and provide vital resources for its residents, said Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, president and CEO of LA Family Housing.
“This funding is vital to our city’s ongoing efforts to address the affordable housing crisis, especially for families who are facing the burden of high housing costs,” she said, noting that the funds will help preserve Saticoy Gardens as a “lifeline” for the 30 families residing there, who have very low incomes, to continue providing “a safe and affordable place to live.” The location also offers access to a state-funded childcare facility through the California Children’s Academy.
Before the check presentation, Cárdenas, Bass and Klasky-Gamer met privately with one of the families who live on-site. The husband, who is missing a leg and uses a wheelchair, gets up at 4 a.m. every morning to take public transportation to his job to provide for his family.
“He does it proudly to feed his family, but he still can’t bring home enough to pay the high rents in our community,” Cárdenas said. “Too many people in America think that when people live in a facility like this … it’s because they’re lazy and don’t want to fend for themselves. Trust me, they’re not … and LA Family Housing is giving them the dignity and the respect they deserve.”
Cárdenas Will Retire
Bass thanked the outgoing congressman for his years of public service, from his time on the LA City Council to his years in the U.S. House of Representatives, where they worked together when Bass served in Congress.
“I was so honored to have served with you for a number of years in Congress and witnessed the effort that you made and your leadership,” Bass said, describing his “commitment” as “an example of how we need to continue to work across all of government to bring people together … and get results.”
“As a member of Congress today – and I’ll be a member until Jan. 3 – I’ve been through Republican and Democratic administrations,” said Cárdenas, who served in Congress for 12 years and will be retiring when his current term ends.
Cárdenas will be succeeded by the Democratic candidate he endorsed, Assemblymember Luz Rivas, who won her bid to fill his seat – the 29th House District – with almost 70% of the vote, easily defeating her Republican opponent Benito “Benny” Bernal.
“Los Angeles has leadership that understands that it’s not about who … you’re communicating with to try to bring resources to LA,” said Cárdenas. “It’s about who you’re representing, and we are constantly fighting for the people of Los Angeles, to make sure that the taxes that they send to Washington D.C. or to Sacramento … come back to serve the people of this community.”