The City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department convened more than 200 leaders from government, academia, philanthropy, and direct service organizations on March 2 to address the poverty and affordability crisis driving housing instability, economic insecurity, and widening wealth gaps across the region. The 2026 Making LA Affordable for All: A Summit on Equity, Access, and Economic Stability brought together stakeholders at The California Endowment for a daylong gathering focused on advancing bold solutions and securing concrete commitments.
More than 600,000 Angelenos live in poverty, with one in four Los Angeles County households experiencing food insecurity, highlighting the scale and urgency of the crisis facing the region. CIFD General Manager Abigail R. Marquez emphasized that the Summit represents a critical turning point in how Los Angeles confronts poverty, building on the foundation established by the City's 2024 Poverty Report that documented structural inequities driving economic hardship.
Keynote remarks came from Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond, whose research and advocacy have reshaped national conversations on poverty and economic justice. Mayor Karen Bass, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and several councilmembers emphasized the City's commitment to creating opportunities for economic stability. Mayor Bass noted that housing instability, food insecurity, and widening wealth gaps are interconnected problems requiring equally connected responses through strong partnerships.
The Summit featured high-impact panel discussions focused on advancing policy reform to dismantle poverty, strengthening housing stability across Los Angeles, and aligning economic development, jobs, and affordability initiatives to create living-wage opportunities. These discussions explored legislative and administrative strategies to remove structural barriers while addressing homelessness prevention, tenant protections, and pathways to affordable housing.
Major announcements included a significant City consolidation that will merge the Community Investment for Families Department, Youth Development Department, Department of Aging, and Economic and Workforce Development Department into a new Community Investment Department. This reorganization represents an important step toward creating a more coordinated, accessible, and effective system of City services.
The Summit also served as the platform for the formal launch of the Office of Community Wealth and Empowerment, which will advance the City's commitment to financial empowerment through forward-thinking anti-poverty programs and policy. Through a partnership with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, the City will receive funding and advisory support for the framework and launch. The Office will house the City's existing cash assistance and children's savings initiatives while laying groundwork to implement the Financial Empowerment Center model, strengthening the provision of free, professional, one-on-one financial counseling as a public service.
Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, noted that local governments have a critical role in building residents' financial stability and that this new office represents more than just individual programs—it serves as a catalyst for embedding financial empowerment work across government. Los Angeles joins a growing national network of over 20 cities that prioritize municipal financial empowerment through this initiative.
This gathering represents a critical moment for Los Angeles to align resources, break down silos, and commit to measurable progress in addressing systemic poverty affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. The announcements signal a shift toward more integrated approaches to economic stability that recognize the interconnected nature of housing, employment, and financial security challenges facing Angelenos. For more information about existing programs, visit https://www.LA4Families.org.
