Protesters Besiege L.A. Housing Authority

Dozens of placard-waving demonstrators marched into the downtown offices of the city of Los Angeles’ Housing Authority to turn in their Section 8 applications for federal housing assistance and to protest the severity of the city’s affordable-housing crisis. The 100 or so protesters, organized by the Assn. of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, pressed their case to the Housing Authority’s Section 8 director, Steve Renahan. Several protesters took turns telling their personal stories about the housing crunch, including 10-year waits for federal aid. Renahan said his agency is already “on the record asking Washington for more money.” The demonstration ended without a Housing Authority promise to support ACORN’s efforts for city assistance.