The polls are open and with the General Election Day on Nov. 3, LADOT is providing fare-free DASH bus service for all Angelenos. LADOT reminds passengers that face masks are required on all City transit vehicles and encourages the observation of such safety measures at City polling locations. 

For information on how to locate your General Election polling location, please click here.

During the first week of November, the third “Safe Parking” location will be opening in District 9 near Downtown and the Los Angeles Convention Center with the capacity to accommodate 30 cars.

“There is no greater priority for my Office than that of protecting human life,” said Councilman Curren Price. “While some individuals circumstances have led them to having to resort in sleeping in their vehicles, making the tough choice to resist going into a shelter for whatever reason, having a safe place to park in the City with individualized access to social services is a substantial lifeline in helping someone move from their cars into a permanent housing solution.”

The Safe Parking program provides individuals a safe place to park each night, access to social service resources, restroom access and a security guard. This is in addition to several other initiatives that Councilman Price is leading to manage the homelessless crisis in District 9, including the development of more than 1,000 permanent supportive housing and affordable housing units in the pipeline, rapid rehousing and teams of outreach workers in the community each day to bring solutions that will help people to move off of the street.

In celebration of Halloween, the Office of Councilman Curren Price joined with several community partners to donate pumpkins, distribute candies, and hand out facemasks, backpacks, lunch boxes and other goodies to families across the District. 

See the pictures above for a range of activities that took place across local parks and recreation centers, and the Pueblo del Rio Social Hall! 

During the last week of October, Councilman Curren Price led efforts to have the business corridors on Main Street between 33rd and 35th Streets deep cleaned. 

During the cleaning, the LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) Care Team and outreach workers with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) were able to connect with the individuals living in the encampments and offer services to them, as well as disinfect and power wash the sidewalks. 

“The goal of these cleanings is not to disrupt the lives of the individuals suffering from homelessness but to ensure the area is clean, safe and free from the biohazards that can quickly take over the streets,” added Councilmember Price. “Connecting the individuals with services is the main priority with the hope that they will take advantage of what is available and put them on a path to getting the help they need.” 

Due to popular demand, the deadline to register for Councilmember Curren Price’s Annual Senior Appreciation Luncheon has been pushed back to Friday, Oct. 30. Older adults who live in District 9 and are 65 years and older can call Councilman Price’s District Office at (323) 846-2651 to participate in this year’s event.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Councilmember Price will treat local neighbors to a free meal and care package this year, which they can enjoy from the comfort of home.

“It brings me so much joy to gather more than 1,000 of our closest neighbors as part of our senior luncheon celebration at the Los Angeles Convention Center each year,” added Councilmember Price. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to do things a little differently in 2020. While there won’t be any dancing or live entertainment, the safety of our senior community is our utmost priority so instead we’ll be delivering thousands of meals with treats in a safe manner.”

On Oct. 27, the Los Angeles City Council voted to expand funding for LA Al Fresco, a program that is supported by LADOT and which allows restaurants to expand dining areas into parking lanes, driving lanes and adjacent private lots to encourage safe physical distancing for customers. 

The newly allocated funding provided through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, will allow approximately $2 million to be apportioned to assist local businesses during the next two months. To facilitate the expansion of outdoor dining options, the City will continue to provide barricades, planters and umbrellas for businesses to use in permitted spaces.

For more information on the LA Al Fresco program, please visit corona-virus.la/laalfresco.

As the City of Los Angeles reels from the effects COVID-19 has taken on our daily lives, the need for trusted child care has become more important than ever. Licensed child care operators in the City of Los Angeles affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which have endured hardship or a reduction in revenue, can apply for grants of $10,000, $25,000 and $40,000. A total of 500 grants, totaling $10 million, will be awarded. The application portal opened Oct. 15 and will close on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 12 p.m.

This grant program is administered by the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD), the City’s BusinessSource Centers and multiple local early care and education agencies.

To learn more about the COVID-19 Child Care Provider Grant Program, click here. For all eligibility requirements and to apply, please visit laecefund.org or EWDD for assistance. For commonly asked questions about this program, click here. 

The LADOT Parking Enforcement and Traffic Control division has resumed parking enforcement as of Oct. 15. 

The department has resumed parking enforcement and impounding, where applicable, for the following categories:

• Residential street sweeping 
• Expired registration on a vehicle 
• Overnight/oversize parking districts
• Peak/rush hour and gridlock zone parking restrictions
• Ticket/tow for abandoned vehicles (72 hour rule)
• Vehicles displaying recently expired permits within preferential parking districts 

LADOT will delay impounding vehicles used for dwelling pending a report back to the city council in 30-60 days. Additionally, LADOT will delay the booting and impounding of scofflaw vehicles until Jan. 1, 2021.

Enforcement is ongoing for all the following categories:

• Metered parking
• Time limits within preferential parking districts for vehicles without a valid or recently-expired permit
• Posted time limit zones in residential and commercial areas 
• All posted temporary no-parking signs 
• No blocking emergency access (alleyways, fire hydrants, etc.)
• Colored curb zones
• Parking restrictions for city-owned lots 

At the instruction of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the department has also launched new economic relief measures to assist low-income Angelenos, including a new program that allows discounts for citation payments that are made early. This program supplements two other new programs created by the department to help Angelenos in need — the Citation Amnesty Program and the Unemployment Citation Amnesty Program — and joins the Community Assistance Parking Program (CAPP) and the Low-Income Payment Plans Program as part of LADOT’s larger effort to assist Angelenos. For additional details about these programs, click here.

For more information about LADOT’s COVID-19 response, please click here.

On Oct. 17 the Taste of Soul L.A. Family Festival added a new element to their annual event with the “Feeding the Souls in our Community” food giveaway as a way to connect with neighbors during the COVID-19 era.

As part of this year’s Taste of Soul virtual event, which featured dozens of entertainers including such A-listers as En Vogue, Anthony Hamilton and Doug E. Fresh, Councilman Curren Price took part in kicking off the “give back” component in the morning by helping to distribute thousands of boxes of food to individuals and families.

“Pivoting has been so much of what we have all had to do to function during this challenging year, and while this is something that had never been done before it was welcomed by the neighborhood with open arms,” added Councilman Price. “With so much of ourselves being tested during these difficult times, we remain committed to finding ways to meet the needs of our less fortunate neighbors.”

Catch all the highlights from the 2020 Taste of Soul Family Festival by visiting https://tasteofsoul.org/ and click on the image below to watch coverage of the community food distribution courtesy of LA Cityview 35.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price partnered with the GUARDaHEART Foundation  recently to offer no-cost COVID-19 antibody testing to the South Los Angeles community and surrounding areas. The three-day event took place Oct. 13-15 at Councilmember Price’s District Office on Central Avenue and 43rd Street. About 600 people received the SARS-CoV-2 antibody test, which detects the body's immune response to the infection caused by the coronavirus. 

“Keeping our neighbors safe and informed, as well as providing the necessary resources our families need is critical for survival during this time,” added Councilmember Price. “Our biggest push in the fight against the coronavirus has been in securing COVID-19 testing centers in our community, but that’s not enough.”

Amid this unprecedented crisis, GUARDaHEART Foundation is working with communities across Los Angeles to offer no-cost antibody testing. For more information on future no-cost COVID-19 antibody testing dates and locations, visit www.GuardaHeart.org 

Click on the image below to view coverage from the antibody testing event, courtesy of our friends at LA Cityview Channel 35.