Ysabel Jurado, District 14 Councilmember presents 100-day plan

Newly-elected Councilmember Ysabel Jurado (CD-14) says she plans to go on a “listening tour” and unveil improvements for  the L.A. district.  

Jurado took office last week after winning the race against incumbent Kevin de León this past November. 

Despite having never held elected office, the former tenant rights attorney and housing rights advocate announced she will be kicking off her first 100 days in office by unveiling new neighborhood upgrades and a “listening tour,” where she plans to meet with constituents from different corners of the district to inform the community on her promised focused policy agenda. 

“As I begin my first 100 days in office, I remain deeply committed to delivering on the promises I made during my campaign – to bring true co-governance, fix our streets and advance a safer District 14 for all our residents,” she said.

Since the beginning of her campaign, the single mom and daughter of undocumented Filipino immigrants expressed her hopes to bring a new vision and better leadership to the communities that make up CD-14, including El Sereno, Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, parts of Lincoln Heights and most of downtown LA, including the Historic Core, the Civic Center, Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Skid Row. The district is home to approximately 265,000 people, 70% of them Latino

On Tuesday, Jurado also introduced motions during her first L.A. City Council meeting to launch new investments to bring more street lights and fix the broken ones. 

Street light reparation and investment were one of the main topics in Jurado’s and de León’s final in-person debate at the Dolores Mission Catholic Church in Boyle Heights, which took place before last month's election. 

As initially reported by The Eastsider, MyLA311, the online platform and phone number (311) used by residents of L.A. to access and request various non-emergency city services, like reporting graffiti, potholes, illegal dumping and street light issues, revealed that in 2023, District 14 registered 3,928 streetlight issue reports, which is 12.2% of the 32,257 tabulated citywide. 

“Lighting up our streets, prioritizing neighborhood safety and leading by listening are just the beginning of fulfilling these promises,” Jurado said this week. “I will continue to work alongside the community and be responsive to needs, as we work together to create a district that works for all.” 

The councilwoman also officially announced her staff hires.  

Lauren Hodgins was announced as Jurado’s chief of staff.  She is a longtime City Hall lobbyist who worked from 2016 until May 2024 with the Santa Maria Group, representing educational institutions, hotel projects and real estate developers. 

Steve Diaz, was also appointed, as the homelessness and housing director. Diaz was formerly the deputy director of LA CAN, where he oversaw the organization's community-building work. He worked for LA CAN for over 20 years. 

Krista Kline will be serving as the senior advisor. Kline most recently led legislative affairs for the office of Mayor Karen Bass and previously served as chief of staff to former Councilmember Mike Bonin, where she led planning and housing strategy for former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.   

Jurado’s scheduling director will be Milagros Montalvo, a Little Tokyo resident and long-time LGBTQ+ advocate. Montalvo was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and has worked at Lionsgate, HBO Max, NBCUniversal,, Focus Features and “Late Night with Seth Meyers”, among other media companies. She was also the fundraising and marketing specialist for the Latino Equality Alliance. 

"In order to deliver on bold promises and hit the ground running, we need institutional knowledge that knows how to navigate city systems and lived experience that understand the unique needs of our district,” said Jurado. “We’re assembling a diverse coalition of seasoned professionals, community leaders and lifelong CD-14 residents who will serve our district with both heart and skill."