As a housing activist, Maria Lopez spent years working to close what she saw as a significant, if little known, loophole in eviction law. Working with the Long Beach Tenants Union, Lopez organized dozens of renters facing “substantial remodel” evictions across her hometown, speaking at City Council meetings and leading protests to draw attention to the rule, which allows landlords to evict tenants if they plan significant renovations to their properties.
They live with their children in the front house and want to remodel the duplex in the back to rent it out as subsidized housing. 'We know housing instability personally and we do not want to contribute to the problem of housing instability in Long Beach,' Femi Akinnagbe told the council earlier this year. 'Which is why we are renovating our home in order to create Section 8 housing for the most needy and vulnerable individuals in our community.