Posts By :

Hayley Munguia

Update: RVs on Santa Fe Ave in Walnut Park 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Update: RVs on Santa Fe Ave in Walnut Park

This morning, we brought LA County’s Pathway Home initiative to Walnut Park. My staff was on the ground as County teams arrived and offered services and safe housing to every resident of the RV encampment on Santa Fe Ave between Broadway and Independence Ave, just north of South Gate.

I heard the concerns many of you expressed in person, on the phone, and through our official Walnut Park Instagram account about this RV encampment. No one is safer or better off when people are living in dilapidated RVs. It’s not good for our kids who need safe sidewalks to get to and from school, it’s not safe for drivers or cyclists, and it’s not safe for the people living inside them. No person should be forced to live in a motorhome on the street.

They deserve safe housing, and you deserve safe streets.

The RVs have been removed, and the residents were offered hotel rooms and every service and support that the County family has to offer. Those who accepted moved into those rooms right away. The cleanup of the street is ongoing.

I’ll be sharing more details about this RV encampment resolution in the next few days. Stay tuned to this and other important information on Instagram and, if you haven’t already signed up, through my weekly Janice Journal.

Hahn Will Bring Successful Gun Buyback Model to Pico Rivera 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Hahn Will Bring Successful Gun Buyback Model to Pico Rivera

Event is ninth in a string of buybacks collecting nearly 1,300 guns

Pico Rivera, CA—On Saturday, December 16, 2023, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn will hold a gun buyback event at the Pico Rivera City Hall in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The event will welcome residents from 9am to 1pm and offers an opportunity to exchange any gun for gift cards, no questions asked. Media is invited to a 10am press conference on site. See details below.

“Time and time again at these events we hear from residents that they didn’t know what else to do with these guns. What they did know is that they wanted to get them out of their homes and away from their families. This is the perfect opportunity, and with gift season just days away, you can drive away with hundreds of dollars in gift cards, no questions asked,” said Hahn. “This is an opportunity that hundreds of people have already taken us up on, choosing safer homes and neighborhoods and some extra spending money on top of it.”

Saturday’s buyback will be Hahn’s ninth. Between the previous eight held in Lynwood, North Long Beach, Norwalk, Wilmington, Long Beach, Hawaiian Gardens, Artesia, and Bellflower beginning in May 2022, Hahn’s initiative has taken in and destroyed 1,292 unwanted firearms.

In Pico Rivera Hahn will be joined by the city’s mayor and councilmembers as well as LA County Sheriff’s Department South Patrol Division Commander Allen M. Castellano. Sarah Wirtz, an advocate from Women Against Gun Violence who lost a niece in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, will also be present. Women Against Gun Violence have donated 50 gun locks that will be given away on Saturday. The simple devices help prevent accidental discharge or use of the gun by someone other than the owner, such as a child.

There are important guidelines to participating in the buyback that ensure the safety of the public and deputies. Participants should not arrive on foot or transit, and should transport firearms unloaded and in the trunk of a vehicle.

Participants will receive gift cards in amounts according to the type of gun exchanged.
• Non-functioning firearms or parts: $50
• Working pistols, rifles shotguns: $100
• Ghost guns: $200
• Assault rifles: $300

3D and homemade guns will be evaluated for value on the day of the event. Gift card quantities are limited and subject to availability.

Media is invited to a 10am press conference. RSVP to lodendahl@bos.lacounty.gov or call (213) 379-6301.

What: Gun Buyback and Press Conference
Who: Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Pico Rivera Mayor Andrew Lara, Pico Rivera City Councilmember John Garcia, Pico Rivera City Councilmember Gustavo Camacho, Pico Rivera City Councilmember Erik Lutz, Pico Rivera City Councilmember Dr. Monica Sanchez, Sarah Wirtz (advocate from Women Against Gun Violence), LA County Sheriff’s Department South Patrol Division Commander Allen M. Castellano
Where: Pico Rivera City Hall, 6615 Passons Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA
When: Saturday, December 16, 2023; Gun Buyback operates from 9am to 1pm, Press Conference begins at 10am
Visuals: Surrendered firearms being processed, Hahn and councilmembers touring buyback

Download full-page flyer here.
Footage of Hahn’s Long Beach buyback event can be found here. Credit: LA36

Hahn Office Funds $1.2 Million Upgrade to Artesia’s AJ Padelford Park 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Hahn Office Funds $1.2 Million Upgrade to Artesia’s AJ Padelford Park

Photo Credit: Bryan Chan

This week, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn attended the meeting of the Artesia City Council and formally announced that her office would provide $1.2 million to the city for needed upgrades to AJ Padelford Park.

“This $1.2 million will fund upgrades to AJ Padelford Park’s main building, replace the old computers for the youth program, refurbish the roof of the teen center, fund the construction of new outdoor restrooms, and pay for the installation of more lighting in the park to improve safety for residents walking through the park in the evening,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Our parks, no matter how small, are some of the most important assets in our neighborhoods. I know that this project was a priority for the City of Artesia, and I am so grateful that we can help make it happen.”

The upgrades are vitally needed at the park. The main building roof has multiple leaks which have caused damage to the building, the park currently has no public restrooms, and the computers in the teen center are over 15 years old.

“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Supervisor Hahn and her dedicated staff for their unwavering advocacy on behalf of the City Council, City Staff, and the residents of the City of Artesia,” said Councilmember Monica Monalo. “Their successful efforts in securing these funds will greatly improve our City parks and enhance the quality of life for our residents and those visiting our wonderful parks.”

AJ Padelford Park is a 1.9-acre park located at 11870 169th St. in Artesia. The $1.2 million in funding from Supervisor Hahn’s office comes from discretionary Community Program funds.

Full size photo

Hahn Urges Local Small Landlords to Apply for Funds 560 315 Hayley Munguia

Hahn Urges Local Small Landlords to Apply for Funds

Los Angeles, CA –Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is urging local mom-and-pop landlords to apply for grants through the LA County Rent Relief fund which launched this morning.

“The costs of the pandemic policies that kept people housed fell on the shoulders of local mom-and-pop landlords,” said Supervisor Hahn. “This landlord relief fund is long-overdue, and I urge local property owners who need the help to apply and to call my office if they need any assistance.”

The new fund, launched by the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs at the direction of the Board of Supervisors, makes $68.6 million available for landlord relief with small landlords eligible to receive up to $120,000 in assistance for past due rent and eligible expenses from April 1, 2022 to present. Eligible property owners must own a rental property in Los Angeles County (properties located in the City of Los Angeles are excluded).

If interested property owners need help completing an online application, they can contact a multilingual call center at (877) 849-0770. Language assistance will be available every day of the week, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PST, in all County threshold languages (which include Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Armenian, and others).

In-person one-on-one support is also available through DCBA partners.

More information and a link to complete an application is available at lacountyrentrelief.com.

County to Explore Giving Away Free Gun Locks 150 150 Hayley Munguia

County to Explore Giving Away Free Gun Locks

Los Angeles, CA—Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and her colleague Supervisor Hilda Solis are proposing a plan to allow doctors and nurses at County-operated hospitals and medical campuses to give out free gun locks as part of a harm reduction strategy to prevent gun violence.

“Gun locks can save lives – especially in households with children,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Some studies have found that people are more likely to use gun locks if they are given to them by their doctor or in a medical center to take home and I think it is a concept we should explore for our own County hospitals.”

According to the Pew Research Center, 64% of US gun owners fail to keep their guns in a locked place and 56% of US gun owners keep their guns loaded. This increases the risk of injury or death within a house, especially for children and teens. Securely storing firearms with gun safety cable locks or within a gun safe or lock box is one way to prevent firearms from being accessed or used by children.

“If guns are not safely stored or locked, it can lead to devastating and fatal consequences. Gun owners may assume that their families know how to handle a gun, however, if it’s not safely stored or locked, serious injuries or death may result. Hospitals are where many victims end up, and to that end, we can use the opportunity to both educate and provide them with a tangible resource to better protect them and their families from guns—gun locks,” said Supervisor Solis.

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisor Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Solis to explore providing free gun locks for the public at Los Angeles County hospitals for people to take home and use to properly secure guns. Other hospitals across the country have already implemented this practice following research showing its effectiveness.

“One of the easiest ways to prevent gun violence is to make certain that firearms are securely locked up with ammunition stored separately,” said Margot Bennett, Executive Director, Women Against Gun Violence. “Doing so helps prevent suicide, school shootings, and unintentional shootings. We are grateful to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as they continue their efforts to prevent gun violence with this innovative approach to make gun locks easily available.”

The Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention and the Department of Health Services will report back to the board in writing in 45 days with information about the number of County-operated hospitals and medical campuses and the number of locks required for implementation, a proposed process and plan for implementation that includes a timeline to secure the locks, development of educational campaigns, and identification of a distribution strategy, and any resources required to purchase and provide gun safety cable locks, gun safes, and/or lock boxes.

Voting Begins on New Rail Line Name 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Voting Begins on New Rail Line Name

Hahn asks for public’s help to rename the “West Santa Ana Branch”

Walnut Park, CA – Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is inviting the public help to rename the “West Santa Ana Branch” rail line project. The much-anticipated Metro light rail line will connect ten cities in Southeast Los Angeles County and 1.4 million residents with accessible and reliable transit to downtown Los Angeles, but the name has long confused the public and has held back enthusiasm and support for the project. Supervisor Hahn has led an effort at Metro to rename the project and, starting today, the public will get to vote on the new name.

The planned rain line will run through Artesia, Cerritos, Paramount, Bellflower, Downey, South Gate, Cudahy, Bell, Huntington Park, Vernon to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. While the West Santa Ana Branch name carries historical significance, it has led to confusion because the line neither connects to the City of Santa Ana, nor is it west of most of Los Angeles County.

“This rail line is going to make a huge difference in the lives of residents from Artesia all the way to Huntington Park, but few people know about it because the name is so terrible,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “So, we’re picking a new name that people can get behind and connect with. Thank you to everyone who submitted one of the over 1,200 ideas we received. Now it’s up to the public to vote for their favorites and help us ‘Name That Train’.”

“I’m excited to finally have a replacement name for the West Santa Ana Branch that properly represents and connects with the communities it will serve,” said Whittier Mayor Pro Tem Fernando Dutra, who serves as 2nd Vice Chair on the Metro Board. “I appreciate the enthusiastic response from all the individuals that participated.”

In the first part of the Name That Train contest, residents living up and down the line’s route submitted over 1,200 possible names for consideration and a panel of judges selected 12 finalists:

  • Calafia: the mythical queen after which California—first thought to be the “Island of California”—is named.
  • Esperanza: “Hope” in Spanish. This project represents the aspirations of 1.4 million residents for improved mobility, better opportunities, and an enhanced quality of life.
  • Gateway Cities: This line will serve most of the Gateway Cities, making these communities more accessible to the rest of LA County and helping unify a regional identity.
  • Los Angeles Gateway: The Gateway Cities region will finally have a direct transit connection to the heart of Los Angeles.
  • Los Rios: This line will run along and cross our major rivers, including the San Gabriel River, the Los Angeles River and its Rio Hondo tributary.
  • Pioneer: Pioneer Blvd. runs through the heart of Artesia, the line’s terminus. This project also represents a new frontier for the communities it will serve.
  • Pórtico: A portico is a door, a gateway to something new. This line will offer the Gateway Cities a portal to a brighter future.
  • Ruta Segura: “Safe Route” in Spanish. This project will give many new public transit users the confidence to travel on the Metro system.
  • Southeast: This line will serve not only Southeast Los Angeles but also most of Southeast Los Angeles County. Check the compass at Union Station; this line goes due Southeast.
  • Southeast Gateway: The communities of SELA and the Southeast LA County region—also known as the Gateway Cities—will have a gateway to DTLA.
  • The Heartland Connection: This line will provide a connection to the heart of the Metro system for the millions of residents of the Southeast Los Angeles County communities.
  • Tongva: The Tongva—whose name means “People of the Earth”—are the original inhabitants of the land that today is Southeast Los Angeles County.

The online public vote at RenameWSAB.com launches on November 15, 2023 and will close on December 17, 2023. Anyone can vote for their top three choices, ranked in order of preference. Votes are limited to one per person. The name with the most votes will be selected and announced in January 2024.

Supervisor Hahn Orders Additional Security Measures at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Supervisor Hahn Orders Additional Security Measures at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall

Los Angeles, CA—Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has directed the Probation Department to put in place additional security measures at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey after a youth being incarcerated at the hall was able to briefly escape the facility.

On the evening of November 4, 2023, a youth being incarcerated at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall managed to escape briefly from the facility by assaulting a staff member, obtaining keys, and climbing over a fence. The youth was apprehended by police and Probation Department officials within ten minutes of the escape and the Probation Department has launched an internal investigation into this incident.

“It is unacceptable that two young people have managed to escape from Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in the last four months,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn who represents the cities of Downey and South Gate. “Luckily, they were both apprehended almost immediately after their escape, but this cannot happen again.”

After being closed for almost four years, Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall was reopened in July 2023 after the California Board of State and Community Corrections ordered the County’s other two juvenile halls to be closed for failing to meet suitability standards. November’s brief escape is the second time since the facility reopened that a youth has managed to flee from Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. The first time occurred within two weeks of the facility reopening, and the youth was apprehended shortly after fleeing the facility.

During today’s Board meeting, Supervisor Hahn submitted an urgency motion regarding the escape over the weekend. The motion, which was unanimously approved, directs the Los Angeles County Chief Probation Officer to orally present a corrective action plan during the public Board meeting on November 21, 2023, including descriptions of additional security measures and policies being implemented by the Probation Department to prevent any future escape from the facility.

Hahn’s motion also directs the Chief Probation Officer to meet with officials from the City of Downey and the City of South Gate to discuss additional safety measures being implemented at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall to ensure the safety of the surrounding communities.

Lastly, Hahn’s motion directs the Office of the Inspector General to investigate the November 4th escape and provide a written report to the Board of Supervisors in 120 days. It also specifies that the report back should include an overview and analysis of the events that led to the escape and recapture of a juvenile on November 4, 2023, and recommendations for additional security measures and policies to prevent future incidents.

Supervisors Build on Effort to Fight Hunger with New Office of Food Equity 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Supervisors Build on Effort to Fight Hunger with New Office of Food Equity

Los Angeles, CA – Today, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath building on the County’s efforts to fight growing food insecurity in our region by establishing a new LA County Office of Food Equity.

“During the pandemic, the County, our philanthropic partners and the community- based organizations on the frontlines worked together to get food and healthy meals to residents and families who needed it. The worst of the pandemic is behind us, but hunger and food insecurity aren’t,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn. “By creating the first-ever LA County Office of Food Equity, we can build on the work we already started with our partners, modernize our food system, and work toward a future where everyone in LA County can get the healthy food they need.”

Current data shows that more than 1 million Los Angeles County households face food insecurity each year, with Black and Latino residents more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity. Food insecurity is also correlated by location with an insufficient number of grocery stores and food assistance programs located in the Antelope Valley, East Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles County, and South Los Angeles neighborhoods.

“Through the commitment of incredible philanthropic partners, LA County was able to fill a life-saving need for thousands of households through food distribution events during the height of the pandemic,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “We know the need has only grown, particularly for communities of color who lack access to fresh food. The Office of Food Equity will build on this successful public-private partnership model to continue to provide nutritious food to residents who are counting on us.”

This new Office of Food Equity will expand on the efforts of the Food Equity Roundtable created under the leadership of Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Sheila Kuehl in 2021. The Food Equity Roundtable brought together the major food players –CBOs from the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic partners in our County with funding provided by the Annenberg Foundation, the California Community Foundation, and the Weingart Foundation and created a comprehensive strategic plan designed to help end food insecurity through modernizing the regional food system, building a smarter, more connected food system, and bolstering nutrition education, among other strategies.

The Office of Food Equity will lead the County’s share of the work to implement the strategic plan, including everything from updating zoning policies to encourage urban farming, to better supporting local food entrepreneurs, to preventing food waste, to improving access to nutrition assistance programs. Importantly, the Office of Food Equity will work hand in hand with philanthropy and local nonprofits working outside county government on the larger effort to end hunger.

“The crisis of food insecurity in LA County is worsening, which is why we must now fulfill our commitment to address this critical issue for all Angelenos,” said Cinny Kennard, Executive Director of the Annenberg Foundation and Co-Chair of the LA County Food Equity Roundtable. “I’m proud to be working cross-collaboratively with the California Community Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, the hardworking CBO’s in trenches of the food issue every day and our committed County Board of Supervisors to implement a roadmap to solve this problem. This motion approved by the Board of Supervisors will ensure the new office of Food Equity is staffed and supported so that we can together begin to work to get all people the much needed quality, affordable, and healthy food.”

With the unanimous passage of today’s motion, the County’s Chief Executive Office will report back to the board in 90 days regarding the new office’s structure, a staffing plan, as well as a public-private cost sharing budget.

Supervisors Move to Strengthen Regulation of Gun Dealers 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Supervisors Move to Strengthen Regulation of Gun Dealers

Los Angeles, CA—Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moved forward a new County ordinance to strengthen regulations of gun and ammunition dealers in unincorporated Los Angeles County. The new policy is part of a strategy championed by Supervisor Janice Hahn to use every tool at the County’s disposal to prevent gun violence.

“We need to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands and part of that effort is ensuring gun and ammunition dealers are acting responsibly,” said Supervisor Hahn who proposed this ordinance and three others to better prevent gun violence. “These are commonsense regulations that will make sure gun dealers have basic security measures in place, maintain inventory, and keep records of who they sell guns and ammunition to.”

Gun and Ammunition Dealer Ordinance:

The ordinance approved by the board today will apply to gun and ammunition dealers in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County of which there are currently 18 gun dealers and two ammunition-only dealers.  The ordinance, which will be enforced by the Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, does the following:

  • Requires that ammunition dealers get a business license and comply with requirements applicable to gun dealers. Previously, ammunition-only dealers were not required to have a specific business license.
  • Prohibits minors in stores that sell guns and ammunition unless accompanied by an adult. Mixed-use stores will be required to have sight separation.
  • Requires that stores maintain an annual sales report, keep a fingerprint log of purchasers of guns and ammunition, maintain a weekly inventory report, have security cameras in place, and have signs displayed in stores that warn customers about the risks associated with access to guns.
  • Requires suspended and revoked licensee names to be publicly posted by the Treasurer and Tax Collector.
  • Amends the fee chart and increases the annual license fee for both initial applications and license renewals.

This ordinance will now move to a second hearing at the upcoming November 7th board meeting.  Should the board approve the ordinance for a second time, it will go into effect 30 days later.

Additional Gun Ordinances in Place and In Development

This gun dealer regulation ordinance is the third of four ordinances proposed by Supervisor Hahn.  The first two ordinances, which banned the sale of .50 caliber firearms and prohibited carrying firearms on Los Angeles County property, were implemented earlier this year.  The fourth ordinance, which is being developed by the Department of Regional Planning, will create a 1,000-foot buffer zone between gun stores and child safety zones like schools, daycares, parks, and playgrounds.

Expanding Access to Gun Violence Restraining Orders

As part of a comprehensive approach to preventing gun violence, the County has also launched a new effort to raise awareness and use of gun violence restraining orders (GVROs).  GVROs, which can be filed by law enforcement or members of the public when they believe a person is a danger to themselves or others and must be approved by a judge, can prevent a person from purchasing a gun, ammunition, or magazine for a specified length of time, between 21 days and five years.  Despite their life-saving potential, they are severely underutilized in Los Angeles County.

To improve public information and awareness of Gun Violence Restraining Orders, Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis directed the LA County Office of Violence Prevention to launch a public awareness campaign. As part of that effort, the office has created a new webpage can be found at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ovp/GVROs.htm.  It includes information about what GVROs are, who can file for them, videos about how to file GVROs in both English and Spanish, a list of legal aid organizations that can assist, and data about gun violence restraining order filings in LA County.  The webpage also includes information about possible warning signs for both suicide and potential mass violence.

Hahn Appoints South Gate Leader Denise Diaz to LA County Commission for Women 150 150 Hayley Munguia

Hahn Appoints South Gate Leader Denise Diaz to LA County Commission for Women

Los Angeles, CA – This week, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn appointed South Gate native and former councilmember Denise Diaz to the Los Angeles County Commission for Women. The Commission advises the Board of Supervisors on important issues facing women. Diaz served on the South Gate City Council from 2017 to 2022.

“Denise has proven to be not only an effective leader in South Gate but a great partner to LA County in our shared mission of meeting the needs of our residents,” said Hahn. “South Gate and its neighbors in Southeast LA have too often been overlooked, so I wanted to make sure a Southeast LA is represented at this table as we make decisions to build a better LA County for women and girls. She is going to be that voice.”

Diaz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Cal State Long Beach and previously worked in Washington, D.C. at the Inter-American Development Bank before returning to Los Angeles County to work as a Community Outreach Specialist with the California State Department of Public Health. She was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the San Gabriel and Lower LA Rivers and Mountains Conservancy Governing Board. She currently serves as Director of Public Affairs for TCS Professional Psychology.

“I’m deeply humbled and excited to serve on the LA County Commission for Women, advocating for equity, women’s rights, and the well-being of our children. My heartfelt gratitude to Supervisor Janice Hahn for this opportunity to make a positive impact in our community.”

Skip to content