ACT-LA was founded in the early 2010s to stop the displacement of working-class communities of color as LA expanded its public transit system. Originally called the Alliance for Community Transit–Los Angeles, we came together to demand that transit investments benefit—not displace—the people who rely on them. Our first major fight was for equitable Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) policies: development near transit that includes affordable housing, tenant protections, and local job access.
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Since then, ACT-LA has helped reshape how LA plans and invests. We’ve secured stronger tenant protections, won affordable housing incentives through the TOC program, and led successful campaigns for fareless transit and care-based transit safety. Our work has connected transportation, housing, and environmental justice in ways that center the voices of low-income communities of color.
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Today, ACT-LA is a coalition advancing a vision for a just, affordable, and connected Los Angeles. We’re pushing for planning processes that put people first, protections that keep families housed, and public investments rooted in equity. Our values—community power, racial justice, and transformative change—guide everything we do as we fight for a city where everyone can thrive.