Coalition for Economic Survival

Coalition for Economic Survival is a community-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1974 in Los Angeles, California, that focuses on tenants' rights, affordable housing, and social services. The organization has engaged with municipal bodies, state agencies, and allied nonprofits to influence policy affecting rent control, housing assistance, and urban development. Over decades it has interacted with city councils, state legislatures, and federal programs while partnering with labor unions, community development corporations, and civil rights organizations.

History

The group emerged amid 1970s urban activism in Los Angeles, influenced by movements around United Farm Workers and housing campaigns associated with leaders like Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez. Early activities overlapped with tenant organizing in neighborhoods affected by redevelopment plans linked to agencies such as the Los Angeles Housing Department and initiatives like the Community Development Block Grant program. During the 1980s the organization contested policies tied to the Reagan administration budget cuts, collaborated with advocacy networks including National Low Income Housing Coalition and Public Counsel clinics, and engaged with landmark local efforts such as litigation involving the Los Angeles Superior Court. In the 1990s and 2000s, CES intersected with debates over Proposition campaigns, municipal ballot measures involving the Los Angeles City Council, and statewide legislation debated in the California State Legislature. Events like the 2008 financial crisis and the housing affordability crisis in the 2010s prompted collaborations with groups such as the Economic Roundtable and policy research at institutions like the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mission and Programs

CES frames its mission around tenant protections, rent stabilization, and access to services, coordinating with coalitions including AARP, Los Angeles Tenants Union, and the Service Employees International Union on outreach and policy advocacy. Programs typically include tenant hotlines operated similarly to legal aid initiatives at Public Counsel and referral partnerships with clinics at California State University, Los Angeles and UCLA School of Law externships. Housing assistance programs engage with federal landmarks like the Fair Housing Act and local instruments such as rent stabilization ordinances crafted with participation from the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department. CES has run campaigns addressing homelessness that connected with shelters funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and municipal initiatives like Measure H. Community education efforts echo curricula used by organizations such as Los Angeles Community Action Network and InnerCity Struggle.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The organization operates with a board of directors modeled after nonprofit governance standards promoted by entities like BoardSource and has worked with fiscal sponsors in networks including the California Community Foundation. Leadership roles have included executive directors who coordinated campaigns with elected officials from the Los Angeles City Council and advocates who testified before committees of the California State Assembly and the United States Congress. Staff and volunteer organizers have engaged in training programs resembling those of ACLU of Southern California and organizing schools like Manny Diaz Organizing School (as an example of community training models). The group’s fiscal operations have intersected with reporting frameworks enforced by the Internal Revenue Service and grant processes administered by foundations such as the Ford Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Advocacy and Campaigns

CES has led and joined campaigns on rent control ordinances that intersect with case law from the California Supreme Court and municipal rulings in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office. Campaigns targeted statewide measures debated at the California Ballot and worked to influence implementation of laws such as AB 1482 while coordinating with national advocacy via the National Housing Law Project. Direct actions have included tenant organizing modeled after tactics used by groups like MOVE and coalition rallies similar to those staged by the Poor People’s Campaign. The organization has also participated in policy coalitions addressing redevelopment that engaged agencies like the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and nonprofit developers such as Mercy Housing.

Impact and Controversies

Supporters credit the organization with contributing to tenant protection policies, influencing ordinances enacted by the Los Angeles City Council, and increasing access to tenant counseling similar to programs promoted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Critics and opponents, including some property owner associations and business groups like the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, have argued that rent stabilization and related campaigns impact investment and development decisions, echoing debates seen in disputes involving the California Apartment Association. Legal challenges have involved litigation strategies comparable to cases brought before the California Courts of Appeal and debates over preemption linked to decisions by the California Supreme Court. The organization’s alliances with labor and civil rights groups have drawn praise from entities such as ACLU affiliates and criticism from fiscal conservatives aligned with think tanks like the Pacific Research Institute.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Los Angeles Category:Housing rights organizations in the United States