LOS ANGELES, CA \u2014 Traci Park, 50, is vying to be reelected to the Los Angeles City Council, representing District 11.<\/p>\n
In the June 2 primary, incumbent Park will face one challenger: Faizah Malik.<\/p>\n
Learn more about Park’s goals for Los Angeles:<\/p>\n
Find out what’s happening in Los Angelesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n
What is your educational background?<\/b><\/p>\n
I was the first person in my family to attend college, earning an undergraduate degree in history at Johns Hopkins University, and my law degree at Loyola Law School. I worked two jobs and borrowed heavily to finance my education. <\/p>\n
Find out what’s happening in Los Angelesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n
After graduating from law school, I had a successful 20-year legal career as a municipal attorney before being elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2022. In just three years, I helped house hundreds of people, cleaned up and protected our beaches and green spaces, improved safety in our communities, and fought for vulnerable members of our community.<\/p>\n
Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
I have served as the Los Angeles City councilwoman for the 11th District since I was elected in November of 2022.<\/p>\n
What are the top three issues facing Los Angeles right now?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Los Angeles needs to continue delivering homeless services with the urgency and compassion the crisis requires. As we refine our interventions, my focus will be on recovery-based housing solutions that address mental health and addiction and accountable spending that achieves actual results.<\/p>\n
We also have to right-size essential city services, especially the staffing and resources we need at LAFD, LAPD, Sanitation, Public Works, and other core municipal departments. Our essential infrastructure is crumbling under the strain, and with major world events looming, we need smart investments and planning now to get us ready.<\/p>\n
And, as we head into 2026, the economic realities of the Palisades Fire will set in \u2014 mortgage forbearance and ALE are expiring, but thousands of residents who remain displaced are running out of time, money, and options. I will keep fighting to get the resources we need for a full recovery.<\/p>\n
What is one specific policy you would advocate for or introduce as a City Council member in your first year?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Among other things, a top priority during my second term is finishing the job of transforming the Westside into a world-class asset and preparing us for the Olympics. We have the opportunity to showcase the unique arts and culture of the Westside to the world, while also setting the bar for future Games. And I\u2019ll make sure we deliver for our residents, the athletes, visitors, and those watching around the world.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re setting the standard for sustainability, something I championed as the chair of the Olympic Committee when I created the games\u2019 Sustainability Council. We also have the chance to emphasize accessibility and adaptive sports, with multiple Paralympic events scheduled for Venice Beach \u2014 something that would have been impossible without my work to revitalize Venice into a world-class tourism destination. And our Venice-based Olympic & Paralympic competitions are non-ticketed and free, which means there is an opportunity for every Angeleno to participate in the Olympic magic.<\/p>\n
Leveraging the games will enable us to fix our streets and sidewalks, finish our much-needed coastal access and mobility hub, and improve our infrastructure. This work takes steady, determined leadership. And I am determined to see it through for us.<\/p>\n
What specific actions should the City Council take to address homelessness, and how would you evaluate whether those efforts are working?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Since 2022, we\u2019ve housed hundreds of people living on the streets, sidewalks, and beaches in CD11. We significantly expanded our master-leased motel inventory, where we achieved high retention rates and transitions into longer-term stable housing. We also added new providers focused on long-term rental subsidy programs to house people living in vehicles and demonstrated multiple successful interventions, including two long-standing and challenging encampments on Jefferson Boulevard at the Ballona Wetlands and behind Home Depot in Playa Vista that are now fully cleared.<\/p>\n
There are widespread behavioral and mental health challenges among much of the remaining unsheltered population, so housing interventions must include long-term residential care and recovery-based programming. We\u2019ve partnered with County DMH to provide high-acuity services at our interim housing sites, but my focus remains on shifting policy and funding towards recovery care, including judicial oversight where appropriate.<\/p>\n
Affordability starts with creating and keeping good jobs in LA. I\u2019m creating new jobs by revitalizing our communities, improving public safety, and cutting red tape that makes it too expensive for small businesses.<\/p>\n
To address skyrocketing rent, we are building housing. A lot of it. Since I took office, we\u2019ve advanced 65 projects, with another 30 in the pipeline, for over 9,000 new housing units \u2014 40% of which are affordable.<\/p>\n
What is one specific change you would support through the City Council to improve public safety in your district or citywide?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Addressing the public safety crisis is my mission, and I have worked hard to make the Westside a safer place to visit and call home. I am tired of excuses for criminal behavior, and I have demanded action from the council and our law enforcement. In addition to fighting for desperately needed staffing at LAPD for sworn and not sworn personnel, I am actively working to expand technology and unarmed crisis response to support public safety.<\/p>\n
How should the City Council balance housing development, neighborhood concerns, and state housing mandates in Los Angeles?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
It’s no secret that rent is too damn high in Los Angeles. We need more housing in our city, especially affordable housing. But we have to build thoughtfully and responsibly with our communities in mind. We must require concurrent investment in the infrastructure needed to safely support modern demands \u2014 sewer, water, transit, power, communications, public safety, and evacuation routes. In CD11, we worked with local communities and City Planning to update our Community Plans to increase density along commercial and transit corridors best suited to accommodate additional strain and demand.<\/p>\n
I need flexibility to work with the community to account for the challenges and needs of some of LA\u2019s most unique and diverse areas. Neighborhoods like Westchester and Playa Del Rey around LAX, the nation\u2019s second largest airport which already causes traffic, pollution, and parking issues. Hundred-year-old communities like Venice with narrow streets that weren\u2019t built for modern cars or tourism. Legacy neighborhoods like Sawtelle, whose families lost everything to internment camps, rebuilt, then saw it wiped away by metro projects and redevelopment. And environmentally sensitive and disaster-prone geography of high-fire areas in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, and flood and tsunami zones in Playa del Rey. One-size-fits-all housing requirements don\u2019t work here in CD11.<\/p>\n
As with all my decision-making, I\u2019ll continue to prioritize community needs when considering housing solutions.<\/p>\n
Why are you a better choice than your opponents?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
The Westside is my home. My grandfather was a pastor at a local Westside church. My mom went to Venice High School. And I\u2019ve lived in Venice for 14 years. I ran for office because my community desperately needed help, and I was tired of waiting for someone else to do something about it.<\/p>\n
In three short years, I\u2019ve written a comeback story for the Westside. I\u2019m on the ground every day in every one of our communities \u2014 from Westchester and Playa del Rey to Sawtelle and Brentwood \u2014 getting things done for the people who call the Westside home. We\u2019re building new housing, creating good jobs, cleaning up our neighborhoods, improving public safety, and housing people at a rate never before seen in CD11.<\/p>\n
Last year, the biggest disaster in our city\u2019s history hit our district. I was there on January 7th, I\u2019ve been there every day since laying the foundation for our recovery, and I won\u2019t stop fighting until every Palisadian has a pathway home.<\/p>\n
With major world events including the Olympics, Paralympics, and FIFA World Cup Activations coming to Venice and the Pacific Palisades becoming the largest construction effort in our city\u2019s history, consistent and determined leadership matters more than ever.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m the best candidate for the job because I\u2019m actually doing the job and delivering real results for the Westside.<\/p>\n