Grow CD13

Small Business Policy Lab

CD13 should be the place where we actually test what keeps storefronts open and sidewalks usable. My office will run a Small Business Policy Lab in three lanes, and then use our results to drive citywide reform.

  • Vacancy & Activation Lab

    Work with City Planning to pre‑clear low‑impact, low‑controversy uses-bookstores, galleries, small creative retail, daytime cafés without alcohol.

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  • Capital, Risk & Resilience

    Partner with community development financial institutions and fintech lenders that underwrite on cash flow and business plans, not just credit scores.

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  • Vendor Integration Program

    Host regular “Vendor Days in CD13” where city and county staff process sidewalk‑vending permits, health approvals, and tax registration in one place, with outreach and translation.

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  • Clean, Safe Corridors & the Risk Loop

    Identify corridors where empties, encampments, fires, and visible disorder are driving business closures, insurance spikes, and property‑tax appeals.

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  • The Bottom Line

    When something works in CD13, I will bring the data and fight to make it the standard for all of Los Angeles.

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Vacancy & Activation Lab

What I will do from the CD13 office

  • Vacancy Dashboard

    Map every empty storefront and long‑term fenced lot in CD13 by scraping broker listings and walking our corridors.

    Classify empties: speculative holds, aging/cash‑poor owners, valuation/portfolio plays, and spaces that are obsolete without improvements.

  • Vacancy Matchmaking

    Reach out to owners, explain the cost of long‑term empties, and match them with ready tenants: local retailers, nonprofits, small food operators, and vendor hubs.

  • Meanwhile Leases

    Promote 3–18 month “meanwhile” leases so owners can test tenants and tenants can test ideas with lower risk.

    Provide model terms and connect owners to basic “get‑ready” funds for signage, paint, and minor improvements.

  • Activation Fast Lane

    Work with City Planning to pre‑clear low‑impact, low‑controversy uses-bookstores, galleries, small creative retail, daytime cafés without alcohol.

    Have my office actively shepherd these projects through pre‑application meetings, neighborhood support, and paperwork so they are not treated like nightclubs.

What I will push for citywide

  • A formal Activation Permit Path for time‑limited, low‑impact pop‑ups and meanwhile uses with shorter timelines and lighter findings.

  • Stronger vacant‑property standards for long‑term speculative vacancies (security, trash, fire‑risk mitigation).

  • Easier residential‑over‑retail infill so more people live near shops and support ground‑floor businesses.

Capital, Risk & Resilience

What I will do from the CD13 office

  • Small Business Concierge

    A single point of contact in my office to help owners and vendors navigate permits, inspections, and confusing, multi‑department processes.

  • Capital & Risk Desk

    Maintain a live map of capital sources: CDFIs, SBA microloans, city and county grants, Kiva and crowdfunding, purchase‑order finance/factoring, women‑ and minority‑focused programs.

    Sit down with entrepreneurs to build “financing stacks,” like I did with Kickstarter campaigns, Kiva, SBA loans, factoring, and family and friends.

  • Support for Thin‑File Entrepreneurs

    Partner with community development financial institutions and fintech lenders that underwrite on cash flow and business plans, not just credit scores.

    Explore a district‑level loan‑loss reserve so more thin‑file entrepreneurs, including vendors, can qualify for credit.

  • Insurance & Tax Navigation

    Connect businesses facing sudden insurance spikes to trusted brokers and advisors.

    Help owners and tenants understand when corridor conditions are affecting insurance and when owners may seek reassessments that shrink our local tax base.

What I will push for citywide

  • Small Business Resilience Funds to help owners survive insurance shocks, disasters, and emergencies without closing.

  • A formal Capital Navigator program so every district has a clear, user‑friendly capital roadmap for small businesses and vendors.

  • Better alignment with CDFIs and state/federal tools so entrepreneurs see one coherent pathway instead of a maze of programs.

Vendor Integration Program

What I will do from the CD13 office

  • Vendor Integration Program

    Be honest that the status quo is failing residents, ADA users, brick‑and‑mortar businesses, and vendors.

    Commit to integrating vendors into our local economy instead of ignoring or scattering them.

  • Vendor Permitting Sprints

    Host regular “Vendor Days in CD13” where city and county staff process sidewalk‑vending permits, health approvals, and tax registration in one place, with outreach and translation.

  • Vendor Hubs

    Identify plazas, parking pads, and underused lots where vendors can operate in organized hubs, not blocking narrow sidewalks or doorways.

    Work to provide shared infrastructure: trash, lighting, basic storage, and, where possible, group insurance or shared requirements.

  • Ladder of Opportunity

    Build a path from sidewalk vendor → hub stall → shared brick‑and‑mortar or food‑hall space → full storefront.

    Use the Capital & Risk Desk to support each step with permitting and capital.

  • Protect Brick‑and‑Mortars and ADA

    Use placement rules, density limits, and design standards so vendors add value instead of blocking access or sitting directly in front of existing shops.

What I will push for citywide

  • A modern citywide vendor framework that:

    • Legalizes and supports compliant vendors.

    • Protects ADA access and basic sidewalk standards.

    • Respects brick‑and‑mortar investment and avoids direct doorstep conflicts.

  • Clear zoning and permitting rules for vendor hubs so they can be replicated across Los Angeles.

Clean, Safe Corridors & the Risk Loop

What I will do from the CD13 office

  • Red‑Zone Corridors

    Identify corridors where empties, encampments, fires, and visible disorder are driving business closures, insurance spikes, and property‑tax appeals.

  • Corridor Compacts

    Convene property owners, brick‑and‑mortars, vendors, outreach teams, BIDs, LAPD/LAFD, and city departments to agree on corridor action plans: cleaning, lighting, fencing vacant lots, vendor integration, and vacancy activation.

  • Track Results

    Monitor vacancies, calls for service, encampments, and insurance/tax impacts to see which interventions actually stabilize the corridor.

  • Make corridor‑level clean‑and‑safe plus activation strategies part of how the City budgets and measures success.

  • Use CD13’s results to argue for stronger tools on encampment‑driven fire risk, coordination of services, and commercial‑corridor investment.

What I will push for citywide

The bottom line

Grow CD13 turns the council office into an R&D shop for small‑business survival:

  • We will know where every empty storefront is.

  • We will help entrepreneurs build real capital stacks.

  • We will integrate vendors instead of ignoring them.

  • We will tie clean, safe streets directly to insurance, taxes, and whether businesses stay open.

When something works in CD13, I will bring the data and fight to make it the standard for all of Los Angeles.