Reclaim & Rebuild Our Community (RROC)

*THIS FUNDRAISER IS OVER*

To support members of the El Sereno Community, please follow this link:

https://gofund.me/ca966dbe

Who we are:

Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community (RROC) is a group of over a dozen Indigenous and Latinx housing compromised families based out of El Sereno, CA facing housing instability. Some families are on the verge of eviction and some are currently living in cars and encampments. RROC is part of a national housing justice movement inspired by multiple actions across the country including: Moms4Housing, Philly Reclaim, Tacoma Housing Now and especially LA based Reclaiming Our Homes which reclaimed 15 homes earlier this year. This GoFundMe is being facilitated by the fundraising committee of RROC.

The funds will be used for:

- Temporary shelter

- Renovating Homes & returning them to livable conditions

- Furniture

- Appliances

- Food Support

- Legal Support

Letter to Governor 11/27/2020:

Governor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León, Senator María Elena Durazo, U.S. Congressman Jimmy Gomez, and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo:

Due to your inaction and inadequate responses to our initial request there are now dozens of people who have been traumatized in a variety of ways: violently arrested, injured, and witness to family members being threatened and harmed. As there was no meaningful intervention or long term solutions offered by Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León, Senator María Elena Durazo, U.S. Congressman Jimmy Gomez, and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, we are demanding:

- Caltrans allow everyone back in the houses that were being reclaimed.

- Caltrans and the State of California drop all charges, and return all possessions, including what was for many people, the only money that they had. 

- These homes be sold to the El Sereno Community Land Trust at their original price in line with the Roberti Bill.

- Governor Gavin Newsom issue an apology for his tacit complicity which caused violence to be inflicted on families and a community to be traumatized.

We will not stop until our demands have been met.

We, people of color, are certainly facing “The Darkest Winter” not only because COVID-19 is again spiking, but because for us, the economic crisis has worsened and the tsunami of evictions is dwarfing the already miniscule number of available affordable housing statewide. As you said, we are safer if we have the ability to self-quarantine and safely isolate in a home. 

To reiterate; over the last 30 years, Caltrans has preferred to follow an unwritten policy of depopulating the corridor using various means such as harassment, intimidation, no-cause evictions, neglect and rent raises at the rate of 10% every six months to evict tenants. Caltrans, under your authority, would rather have good houses rot than to rent or sell them to low-income families. The result of house-hoarding is that there are still over 170 out of 600 original rentals that are empty on the 710 Corridor. Caltrans has been part of gentrifying our communities and creating the housing crisis that we now find ourselves in. Even after the first reclaiming, Caltrans has left many good houses empty, despite efforts by United Caltrans Tenants to purchase and utilize these homes.

We, Reclaimers, agree with your policy and directives, and echo your orders that all unused and empty State, County, City and School District buildings and properties be immediately used and repurposed to house the thousands of families and individuals on the verge of eviction and facing housing instability. It appears your actions and inactions are increasingly hypocritical and even conflicting with your stated policies

The Reclaimers and their vast support networks are ready to help rebuild these homes and this community. We have the resources with the aid of the El Sereno Land Trust and our growing support nationwide to restore these homes, thus improving the overall community and the livelihoods of dozens of at-risk families.

In solidarity,

Reclaimers, of Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community

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Original Open Letter to the Governor 11/25/2020:

Governor Gavin Newsom,

This is to notify you that we, members of Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community (RROC), less than an hour ago, have peacefully moved into several State-owned empty houses in Los Angeles 90032 on the now defunct 710 corridor. We are un-housed families that include children as young as 3 months old and seniors over 70 years old that are sheltering in place and that have been living in cars and encampments. We ask that you, as Governor of this great state, once again, call Caltrans Director, Toks Omishakin and Caltrans District 7 Director John Bulinski as well as the CHP and direct them not to use violent evictions or arrest. We ask that you respect the reclaiming of these homes and protect the families’ and their rights to shelter in place.

We, people of color are certainly facing “The Darkest Winter” not only because Covid 19 is again spiking, but because for us, the economic crisis has worsened and the tsunami of evictions is dwarfing the already miniscule number of available affordable housing statewide. As you said, we are safer if we have the ability to self-quarantine and safely isolate in a home. We therefore, ask that you, as Governor, direct Caltrans to allow the new families to immediately turn on all their utilities: heating and running water and electricity are essential to shelter safely in place.

To reiterate; over the last 30 years, Caltrans has preferred to follow an unwritten policy of depopulating the corridor using various means such as harassment, intimidation, no cause evictions, neglect and rent raises at the rate of 10% every six months to evict tenants. Caltrans, under your authority, would rather have good houses rot than to rent or sell them to low-income families. The result of house-hoarding is that there are still over 170 out of 600 original rentals that are empty on the 710 Corridor. Caltrans has been part of gentrifying our communities and creating the housing crisis that we now find ourselves in. Even after the first reclaiming, Caltrans has left many good houses empty and we are now reclaiming them as an act of Community Self-Determination and Self-Preservation.

We, Reclaimers, agree with your policy and directives, and echo your orders that all unused and empty State, County, City and School District buildings and properties be immediately used and repurposed to house the thousands of families and individuals on the verge of eviction and facing housing instability.

Lastly, it is important that you take direct authority over this matter because the Reclaimers have no faith in Caltrans and have broad support from a community that has been mistreated by Caltrans for nearly 50 years. The Reclaimers and their vast support networks are ready to help rebuild these homes and this community. However, the Reclaimers are also ready to defend what we consider ours. If the police are called by Caltrans, there will potentially be dozens of arrests, all because we are adhering to and practicing your shelter-in-place policy.

We want to thank you, in advance, for your initiatives on homelessness, affordable housing and encouraging State owned properties to be available for Emergency Homeless Housing. However, we want to point out that the City of LA has not fully implemented your directives especially on Covid19. We want to thank you for supporting our cause and protecting the Reclaimer’s right to shelter in place; any positive intervention such as direct talks, contact with Caltrans, no violent evictions and allowing the turning on of indispensable utilities.

In solidarity,

Reclaimers, of Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community

“Housing is a Human Right—El Techo es Un Derecho

All Vacant Public Properties for Affordable Housing

Campaign Facilitator:

My name is Amanda Darouie. I'm a community member and an organizer on the fundraising committee of RROC. Withdrawls will be made into a personal account managed by an RROC designee who will steward this money into the hands of the families.