I’m a renter, a bisexual woman, and a TV writer who just can’t stay away from local advocacy. It started when I was living in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I was in the 200-year-old neighborhood of Bywater which was part of "the sliver by the river" - higher ground that didn't flood - so there was a huge need to find housing for displaced residents in this historic, already pretty full neighborhood.

 

I was named president of our neighborhood association to help lead us through this stressful time, and as hard as that work was, it made me fall in love with local advocacy. I saw firsthand that by thinking creatively and working with our residents, historic commission, and local developers, we could really make a difference. The project I’m most proud of: we helped turn an under-utilized, historic warehouse into 37-units of low-rent apartments for working artists and musicians who wanted to come back to the city. Those apartments still exist, they’re still affordable, and there are now almost 70 of them.

 

Here in West Hollywood I can see we’re dealing with some of the same problems I saw in New Orleans - a housing and affordability crisis threatening the very culture of this city. But I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and get to work.