She runs Section 8 Housing in Los Angeles. Can she save LA? Lourdes Castro Ramirez (HACLA)

Lourdes Castro Ramirez, President and CEO of HACLA (Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles), joins Taylor Avakian on the No Vacancy Podcast for an in-depth conversation on the affordable housing crisis, Section 8 vouchers, public housing, and strategies to address homelessness in Los Angeles.In this episode, Lourdes breaks down how HACLA serves over 200,000 Angelenos, the realities of rental subsidies, emergency housing vouchers, mixed-income developments, public housing redevelopment, and the challenges of high development costs. She shares her personal journey from immigrant roots to leading one of the largest housing authorities in the U.S., insights from San Antonio and the Obama administration, and practical opportunities for private landlords and developers to partner with HACLA.Topics include: Section 8 landlord participation, funding shortfalls, acquisitions program, Housing Our Veterans, mixed-status families, and long-term solutions for LA’s housing shortage.*Chapters:*- 00:00 Introduction & Sponsor- 00:06 What is HACLA? Serving 200,000 Residents in Los Angeles- 02:02 HACLA Programs: Public Housing, Section 8 Vouchers & More- 05:03 HACLA’s Quasi-Governmental Structure & Funding- 06:20 Lourdes Castro’s Journey: From UCLA to CEO- 14:00 What Governments Get Wrong About Housing- 16:27 LA Housing Shortage & Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) Update- 21:42 Section 8 Funding Challenges & Impact on Property Owners- 26:36 Development Costs: Why Affordable Units Cost $800K–$1M- 31:30 Acquisitions Program, Mixed-Income Housing & High-Resource Neighborhoods- 36:34 Current Development Focus: Jordan Downs, Woodland Hills & More- 39:41 Opportunities for Private Landlords & Developers (Housing Our Vets, Partnerships)- 42:15 Landlord Feedback, Service Improvements & RentCafe- 43:54 LA CASA & Measure A Explained- 46:03 If Lourdes Were in Charge: Policy Changes for Housing- 48:28 Lessons from Texas: Austin & San Antonio Housing Approaches- 49:55 Should Landlords Accept Section 8 Right Now?- 51:19 Future of Housing in LA: Next 5–10 Years- 55:04 Keeping Families Housed & Economic Opportunity Programs- 57:54 Build Hope Nonprofit & Wraparound Services- 01:00:45 Closing ThoughtsHACLA | Affordable Housing Los Angeles | Section 8 Vouchers | Public Housing | Housing Crisis | Taylor Avakian No Vacancy Podcast#realestate #commercialrealestate #podcast