Jessica Lall speaks at CCA's 2022 Holiday Party.
It was another year for the record books as our region emerged from the pandemic, participated in a historic election cycle -- locally and nationally -- and continued the return to in-person gatherings and work. All the while, CCA advanced its mission of enhancing Downtown Los Angeles' (DTLA) vibrancy and increasing opportunity in the region by bringing leaders together, finding common ground and offering workable solutions and ideas.
CCA's Board of Directors recently named past CCA executive and public affairs expert Nella McOsker as incoming CEO. While my six years as CCA CEO comes to an end, my love for and belief in CCA's members and mission remain as I become Managing Director of CBRE's Downtown LA office. My deepest appreciation to CCA's Board of Directors for their guidance and support. CCA would be nothing without its incredible staff who go above and beyond to deliver for our members. Our coalition achieved so much this year, including our many policy accomplishments. I'm honored to share the following highlights.
Delivering a Safer, Healthier DTLA
While improving public safety and wellness has always been needed in Downtown, it was the top priority this year as crime increased. Through our organizing efforts, LA City Council allocated additional funding for foot beat patrols in DTLA, and parts of Downtown are now covered by LA City's CIRCLE (Crisis and Incident Response through Community-Led Engagement) Program which diverts mental health crisis calls from armed police officers to trained clinicians. We look forward to the program's expansion across all of DTLA and will continue to look for ways to integrate the program with existing supports operated by service providers, LA County departments and Metro.
Promoting Accountability & Meaningful Reform
This fall, CCA rapidly responded to the leaked audio recording of a conversation between councilmembers and a labor leader. Like many significant issues impacting Downtown and our city's future, we clearly conveyed our positions, engaged in the legislative process and provided up-to-date information and resources to CCA members. Downtown has become a case study of failed political leadership; we wrote about potential reforms to prevent similar situations from happening in
CCA Reflects and an
op-ed published in Urbanize.
Advocating for Housing & Homelessness Solutions
We advocated for legislation, resources and improved coordination to address our interconnected homelessness and housing crises. Among other state bills, we supported the successful passage of SB 679 to create a regional affordable housing financing and coordination agency and SB 914 to prioritize domestic violence survivors as vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.
We continued our valuable thought leadership, publishing a white paper about the barriers to and policy solutions for building larger-scale affordable housing projects. We remained engaged on the Downtown Community Plan, DTLA 2040, as it is an important tool to increase transparency in the development process, will help add housing supply and define Downtown's character for decades to come.
Navigating Pandemic Guidelines & Recovery
Amid changing public health regulations and guidance, CCA worked to clarify expectations and make sure that any new requirements could be implemented fairly and effectively. We successfully raised concerns about returning to an indoor mask mandate to decisionmakers and the media over the summer. We also continued our support of highly impacted industries like Hospitality and Food & Beverage to preserve
LA as a culinary and cultural capital of the world. CCA also highlighted the importance of ending the eviction moratorium and implementing permanent regulations that balance the needs of tenants and building owners.
Encouraging More Urban Parks
Reconnecting Through CCA Events
CCA's signature in-person events are back with gusto! Our 26th Treasures of Los Angeles™ Luncheon welcomed LA's business, civic and political leaders to celebrate the diversity, excellence and strength of our great city. Our presenting sponsors, Bank of America and Brookfield Properties, helped us honor four inspiring leaders: actor and anti-recidivism advocate Tim Robbins; chefs and restaurateurs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis; and DTLA adaptive reuse pioneer Jon Blanchard. Magic happens when our CCA coalition gathers, and we look forward to convening you and our partners for worthwhile events next year.
Los Angeles is in a time of rapid change; new leaders were sworn in at City Hall and post-pandemic life continues to evolve. Unexpected challenges await as we continue to confront ongoing difficulties with safety, homelessness, lack of Council District 14 representation and the housing shortage. Through all these changes and challenges, CCA will remain a reliable source of information and advocate for meaningful solutions.
My thanks to each of you for your partnership over the years. Together, we held an ambitious vision for Downtown's future, diversified the CCA membership coalition, grew CCA's Political Action Committee and reestablished CCA's 501c3 sister organization, Downtown Works. We accomplished all of this while leading policy advocacy based in expertise and real-life solutions.
We wish you happy holidays with time for rejuvenation. CCA looks forward to an exciting new year and continued collaboration with each of you!
With gratitude,
Jessica Lall
President & CEO, CCA
