May Community Newsletter

This season brought growth in many forms. We celebrated a major property milestone, made the tough call to walk away from another, and continued our work to build a future where Northeast LA residents can stay rooted. From housing and food justice to finding a new organizational home, we’re growing—and grateful to do it alongside you.

In this issue:

• We're looking for a new home

• Reflections on two housing deals

• Highlights from our food justice work

• LA Más joins BUILD Incubator

• Sharing what we know, learning as we grow

• Upcoming events

After a transformative year in our current space, the owners—who generously subsidized our stay—can no longer continue. We’re grateful for all we built here, and we’re ready to find a new home to carry that momentum forward.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 1,500+ sq ft for community meetings

• Anywhere in Northeast LA

• Commercial or pedestrian-friendly corridor

• $2,500/month or less — open to shared space
  

We hope to move by August, ideally into one space for our office + events, but we're flexible.

📩  Have leads? Reach out to ronnie@mas.la

🎉 Celebrate our current space one last time at ROOTED on June 26

We closed on one escrow–and learned from another

In April, we closed escrow on our second community-owned property: a five-unit building in Lincoln Heights. That win reflects what’s possible through trust, partnership, and shared purpose.

But it came alongside a harder call. In March, we entered escrow on two buildings. While one is now under community ownership, we chose not to move forward with the second: a vacant three-unit building listed in the City’s REAP program (which flags properties with substandard conditions).

After inspections and analysis with our Community Governance Committee, it became clear that the rehab costs would nearly double our estimates. We couldn’t ensure safe living conditions while keeping rents affordable—so we stepped back.

Here’s what we learned:

• REAP-listed buildings often require full-scale rehabilitation—not minor repairs

• Vacant units are an opportunity only when restoration costs align with long-term affordability

• Community governance works: collective decision-making helped us stay grounded in our mission
  

We’re grateful to those who supported us throughout the process:

• Dana Coronado, our steady realtor

• The sellers, who saw the value in our vision

• Office of: Office, for guidance on ADU feasibility

• Office of Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, for helping us navigate the REAP program

Partnering for Food Justice in NELA

We’re in year two of our partnership with the NELA Food Justice Collaborative, thanks to funding from the LA Food Equity Fund. With flexible support, six grassroots groups are leading mutual aid and food access efforts across Northeast LA:

• Acción Comunitaria

• Manos Que Sobreviven

• NELA Mercadito

• Padres de Familia Juntos Park

• Semillas En Lucha

• UNIDOS por NELA

Each group received $10K over two years—flexible funding that’s helped strengthen everything from storage and transportation to collaboration and long-term sustainability. This wealth transfer model removes barriers so frontline organizers, many without 501(c)(3) status, can access funding in ways that honor their leadership and sustain their work.

We also opened up our space for FJC partners to host community events centered on food, care, and connection—reaching over 5,000 community members.

LA Más joins the BUILD Incubator to expand community-owned housing

We’re proud to announce that our Executive Director, Helen Leung, has been selected to join the inaugural BUILD Incubator—an initiative led by The Center by Lendistry and supported by U.S. Bank and the California Community Reinvestment Corporation.

The BUILD (Bridging Unique Investments to Leverage Development) program is designed to support affordable housing developers with tools, mentorship, and access to innovative financing strategies—especially those that don’t rely on Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). For LA Más, that means more ways to grow our model of community-owned, anti-displacement housing right here in Northeast Los Angeles.

“This opportunity comes at the perfect time as we expand our community housing program,” says Helen. “The mentorship, technical assistance, and financing pathways through BUILD will be instrumental in helping us scale this work while staying rooted in community.”

Following our first property acquisition earlier this year, this new partnership helps position LA Más to keep advancing housing and economic justice for working-class Angelenos through real buildings, real homes, and real stability.

We’re excited to learn from other cohort members and share what we gain with our community. This is a big step in our journey—and we’re grateful to be taking it with trusted partners who believe in locally driven, equity-focused development.

Stay tuned for more updates as we build forward!

Sharing what we know, learning as we grow

From national summits to local panels, LA Más has been showing up, sharing lessons, and learning alongside others committed to community-led change. Here’s a glimpse of where we’ve been lately—and how we’re growing in community.

Equity in Action Panel
Helen spoke at LA County Planning’s “Equity in Action” series, sharing how we center community voices in shaping planning policy.

LA2050 Grantee Highlight
Six months into our LA2050 grant, we were featured among 20 organizations building a better LA. Honored to be included!

SPRE National Summit
We hosted a tour for the Social Purpose Real Estate Summit, highlighting how community-led development happens in real time—right here in NELA.

You’ve requested it and we’ve built it: calendar integration for LA Más events! Click on the links below to add our events to your google calendar or view our full calendar here.

🤝🏽 Every Tuesday | 1-5pm — Community Hours
Drop in for mutual aid resources, our community closet, or just to connect.

🛍️ Fri, May 23 | 6-9pm — Somos NELA Night Market
Featuring an all-ages art workshop by Crush n Touch. Come create and connect!

🏠 Tues, May 27 | 5:30-7:30pm — Community Housing Meeting
Learn how to co-create housing options that help us stay rooted in NELA.

🛍️ Fri, May 30 | 6-9pm — Somos NELA Night Market
Live cumbia by Poco Pocho + a children’s workshop with Pajaritos. Don’t miss it!

🎥 Mon, June 9 | 6–8pm — Movie Screening: Razing Liberty Square

Hosted with the LA CLT Coalition, join us for a screening of Razing Liberty Square, an award-winning documentary on community resistance against speculation in Miami. Food + drinks provided. Post screening discussion.

⚖️ Wed, June 11 | 6-8pm — Know Your Rights Training
Hosted with Public Counsel — learn how to protect yourself and your neighbors from ICE.

💸 Tues, June 24 | 5:30–7:30pm — Community Economies Meeting
Explore how we build community wealth together. Many of our Food Justice leaders are also Somos NELA vendors—come meet them, support them, and help shape what’s next.

🥳 Thurs, June 26 | 5-8pm — ROOTED 2025
Get your tickets for our annual night of food, music, and community joy. Celebrate another year of building power in Northeast LA! 🎉

📲 Follow @northeastla_market for weekly Somos NELA Night Market updates!

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.