In Glassell Park, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles where gentrification has been pushing out long-term residents for years, a 12-unit apartment building became the site for a different approach. When the owner of the property made a cash-for-keys offer to clear out tenants, the residents said no.

Instead, they organized, held together for more than a year, and ultimately caught the attention of LA Más, a Northeast LA nonprofit focused on supporting neighborhood stability and economic resilience. That’s when Self-Help was brought to the table. Self-Help has already financed other community-led housing preservation projects through LA Más, and there are other projects underway. The shared mission between the two organizations facilitated swift action. They sourced $1.8 million in financing in under 60 days and acquired the property in November 2025.

Now more than 40 residents, many of them long-term tenants, are able to stay in their apartments at affordable rents. Among them is Ana, who has called the property home for 30 years and shares the building with four generations of her family across multiple apartments.

“I’ve lived here for almost 30 years. I’ve raised my three children here, my mom lives with me; my grandmother lives upstairs. Glassell Park is my community. I’m so relieved to be able to continue to call this place home.”

— Ana