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| CHANGE IS IN THE AIR!
This month, we’re saying goodbye to our Cypress Park home, moving across the river to Frogtown, and doubling down on what matters most: keeping neighbors rooted, growing local economies, and supporting our vendors. From farewell gatherings to our biggest market yet, here’s how we’re moving forward—and how you can be part of it.
In this issue We’re Moving! Farewell Cypress Park, hello Frogtown—come celebrate with us. Somos NELA Update: Summer fiesta recap + new twice-a-month market schedule. Vendor Mutual Aid Fund: Stand with vendors impacted by ICE activity. Housing Wins: Repairs at Hancock, ADU underway at Arvia, and new families moving in. Meet Our New Fellows: Jennifer & Río join the housing justice team. Upcoming Events: Markets, meetings, and an open house for affordable units.
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| NEW HOME, SAME ROOTS
After more than a year of meetings, meals, and movement-building at our Cypress Park space, it’s time to say goodbye. Join us to celebrate all we’ve built together—and all that’s next. |
| See ya later, Cypress Park!
1159 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles
Wed, Aug 27 | 5–8 PM Food, drinks, music, and community joy |
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| | We are co-locating with our longtime friends at Clockshop.
We’ve called this space home before—now, together, we’re expanding a hub where art, organizing, and neighborhood care thrive side by side.
Come see the new space at our first Somos NELA market in Elysian Valley on Sept 5 and at our Open House on Sept 19. |
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| SOMOS NELA: MORE THAN A MARKET
Since February, Somos NELA has grown from a weekly night market into shared infrastructure for economic justice. Vendors co-lead the market, shaping a space grounded in culture, mutual support, and neighborhood pride.
This summer’s Somos NELA Fiesta was our biggest market yet!
🎉 40+ vendors
🛍️ 200+ shoppers
🎶 Live music + community resources
🎊 A celebration of what’s possible when local entrepreneurs lead 📸 Check out the photos here! |
| “Every week I earn just enough to pay rent. That means I get to stay in my neighborhood.” — Somos NELA vendor |
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| What’s next for Somos NELA???
New rhythm: Beginning this month, Somos NELA shifts to a twice-a-month schedule, creating more space for connection, coordination, and collective growth. Join us the first and third Fridays for the rest of the year.
Shared tools: From peer-led branding sessions to WhatsApp organizing, resource sharing, vendors are building the back-end systems that keep this neighborhood economy thriving.
Vendor leadership: Our contract with our amazing trio of community consultants is coming to an end in September. We’re excited for the next chapter of Somos NELA, which will be vendor and community managed! Join our next Community Economies meeting on August 26 to help us shape the process. |
| 👉🏽 Interested in supporting future markets? Connect with miguel@mas.la 👈🏽 |
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| Somos NELA Mutual Aid Fund
Many of our vendors are unable to participate in Somos NELA markets right now due to fear of ICE activity in Northeast LA. Missing a market means more than lost income—it disrupts the relationships and resources that keep our neighborhood economy alive.
We’ve launched the Somos NELA Mutual Aid Fund with $5,000 from LA Más, made possible by the Roy & Patricia Disney Family Foundation. Our goal is to raise $10K so every dollar can go directly to vendors impacted by safety concerns—covering food, rent, and other essentials.
We choose solidarity over fear. Care over surveillance. Community over exclusion. |
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| Community members leading the way. |
| COMMUNITY HOUSING UPDATES
We’re advancing a neighborhood-rooted housing strategy that prioritizes community stewardship over speculation. In partnership with Self-Help Ventures Fund, we’re working to raise $12 million for the Nuestra NELA Fund to acquire and preserve housing for longtime residents. |
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| New ADU construction at Arvia (left) and much needed rehabilitation at Hancock (right). |
| We have also made significant headway on Arvia and Hancock community properties:
Arvia: Construction has begun on our first ADU with Bridgeline — a female-owned construction firm! Big thanks to Eleos for supporting us with design and permitting. Once completed, the ADU will add a market rate unit to the property, which helps anchor long-time residents in the existing units and demonstrates what creative community-led development can look like in practice.
Hancock: After completing critical repairs—including roof work, stair safety upgrades, foundation stabilization, and mold remediation—we’re preparing to welcome two new families into the previously vacant units. Units will be available for viewing later this month, leasing details here.
Vacant Units: In alignment with guidance from our Community Governance Committee and in partnership with our Northeast LA Community Housing Alliance members, we’ll prioritize residents at risk of displacement, active community members with LA Más programs, and those with deep ties to Northeast LA—reinforcing our commitment to community stewardship and shared decision-making.
Every unit reclaimed is one more family staying rooted in NELA. To learn more about our Nuestra NELA Fund, read our investment prospectus here. |
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| Hello to our AmeriCorps Housing Fellows!
We’re excited to welcome two new AmeriCorps VISTA members hosted by LA LISC who will support our collective efforts around housing justice and economic self-determination.
Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Saldaña and Río Oxas! As realtors with social justice practices, they’ll be deepening our resident engagement, strengthening stewardship systems, and helping build out the internal infrastructure that keeps our work people-powered and place-based. We’re so glad they’re here—and can’t wait for you to meet them! |
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| This summer, we’ve been building with neighbors, partners, and the next generation of movement leaders:
We welcomed young civic leaders from across the country through Civics Unplugged, exploring what community ownership looks like on the ground—from tenant-led housing to vendor-powered night markets. These visits sparked honest conversations about what it means to stay rooted in a rapidly changing city.
We partnered with Clockshop to host their summer Art & Advocacy Youth Fellows, where our community leaders shared their lived experiences and visions for neighborhood power with local youth.
We graduated from the B.U.I.L.D. Incubator hosted by The Center by Lendistry! Helen, our Executive Director, uplifted our Nuestra NELA housing model alongside a powerful cohort of leaders creating affordable housing without relying on tax credits. |
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| | | | Your support helps keep families rooted in Northeast LA. 🏘️
Make a tax-deductible donation to LA Más and be part of building a future where our neighbors can stay and thrive in the communities they call home. |
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| | LA Más is a community organization building collective power in Northeast Los Angeles to promote neighborhood stability and economic resilience for working class communities of color. |
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