Comments
THE BOTTOM LINE - Los Angeles is confronting a perfect storm of challenges—rising homelessness, worsening affordability, deep budget deficits, and a growing crisis of public trust. In the West Valley, these pressures are felt daily across neighborhoods like Reseda, Canoga Park, and Woodland Hills. For Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, now entering the final year of his last term, the moment is as urgent as it is consequential.
In a recent conversation on The Bottom Line Show, Blumenfield discussed the city’s financial condition, his vote on rent reform, major West Valley revitalization efforts, and what he hopes to accomplish before leaving office. His reflections paint a picture of a city at a crossroads, and a district in the midst of a long-awaited transformation.
Reseda Rising: A $100 Million Bet on Community Renewal
One of the defining efforts of Blumenfield’s time in office is Reseda Rising, an ambitious redevelopment initiative combining more than $100 million in public and private investment. After decades of stalled projects and broken promises, the effort is finally delivering tangible results.
The centerpiece is the Reseda Ice Rink—a project first promised to voters in 1996 through Proposition K. For years, the allocated funding sat idle and was nearly lost forever. Blumenfield fought to revive it, partnering with the LA Kings, leveraging CRA dollars, and acquiring a dilapidated Sherman Way property to build the long-promised rink. The facility, now rising from the ground, is expected to open next year.
But the rink is only one part of a broader revival. The long-shuttered Reseda Theater is being reborn with restored historic features, a modern performance space, affordable senior housing, and new local dining options. In nearby Canoga Park, the Madrid Theatre and the repurposed Clyde Porter Theater are anchoring a growing arts corridor.
These projects, Blumenfield argues, aren’t just beautification. They're economic engines capable of reshaping the West Valley. “Economic development isn’t just about buildings—it’s about bringing services, opportunity, and life back to our neighborhoods,” he said.
Why Blumenfield Opposed the Final Rent Reform Proposal
Blumenfield also addressed his controversial vote on the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) update. Although he co-authored the motion to reexamine the rules—which hadn’t been updated since the 1980s—he ultimately voted against the Council’s final instructions, becoming one of only two members to do so.
He emphasized that his disagreement was not with the concept of reform but with the decision to remove rent banking, a mechanism that would allow missed annual increases (due to caps) to be phased in later—keeping rents stable in real, inflation-adjusted dollars.
“The purpose of the RSO is stability,” he explained. “If rents don’t keep up with inflation, they’re effectively going down in real value. That creates problems for small landlords and the housing market as a whole.”
Blumenfield warned that while Los Angeles renters are unquestionably facing unaffordable costs, the RSO alone cannot solve the larger affordability crisis. He pointed to the widening gap between wages and the cost of living, limited housing supply, and persistent vacancy issues as core drivers of the crisis.
Homelessness: From Crisis to Coordination
When Blumenfield entered office in 2013, homelessness barely appeared on the radar in his district. Today, it is one of the most urgent issues facing the West Valley.
During his tenure, Blumenfield has supported nine permanent supportive housing projects and multiple interim housing programs, including tiny home villages, safe parking, a family shelter, a congregate bridge site, and an Inside Safe motel.
He praised Mayor Karen Bass’s Inside Safe model, which moves entire encampments at once rather than addressing individuals piecemeal. The approach, he said, reduces harmful environments, improves trust, and creates momentum for long-term housing placements.
However, Blumenfield stressed that the city and county must integrate their systems more effectively. “We cannot afford to operate as separate silos,” he said. “The public expects one coordinated strategy, not competing or duplicative programs.”
A City at the Fiscal Edge
Blumenfield—who formerly chaired the Budget and Finance Committee—was blunt about LA’s financial situation. After closing a $1 billion deficit last year, he said the city has already made deep cuts and exhausted the easiest options.
“We took what was a horrible budget and made it just a very bad one,” he said. “But we’ve cut to the bone. There is no more meat left.”
Departments are strained, vacancies remain unfilled, and pension and labor costs continue to rise. The next budget cycle, he warned, will require even more difficult choices about which services the city can realistically provide.
He argued that economic development—growing the tax base through revitalization and business investment—will be essential to avoiding further cuts.
Looking Ahead: The Olympics and His Legacy
With the 2028 Olympics approaching, Blumenfield highlighted the LA River Path—a major West Valley mobility project linking Canoga Park to the Sepulveda Basin—as a key initiative to complete before the world arrives in Los Angeles.
Asked what motivates him, Blumenfield’s answer was simple: “I love public service. Helping people gets me up in the morning.”
He said he doesn’t care about plaques or buildings with his name on them. Instead, he wants to leave behind a district transformed by infrastructure, arts, housing, and opportunity. “For me, the legacy is the work,” he said. “If I can walk through the Valley and see real improvements that helped people, that’s what matters.”
(Mihran Kalaydjian is a seasoned public affairs and government relations professional with more than twenty years of experience in legislative affairs, public policy, community relations, and strategic communications. A respected civic leader and education advocate, he has spearheaded numerous academic and community initiatives, shaping dialogue and driving reform in local and regional political forums. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and public service across Los Angeles and beyond.)
