The City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department convened more than 200 leaders from government, academia, philanthropy, and direct service sectors 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 represented a dedicated effort to advance bold solutions, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and secure concrete commitments to alleviate poverty throughout Los Angeles.
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 regional crisis. CIFD General Manager Abigail R. Marquez emphasized that the Summit builds upon the foundation established by the City's 2024 Poverty Report, which documented structural inequities driving economic hardship. "Today, we are building on that foundation—bringing together leaders not just to discuss the data, but to act on it," Marquez stated.
The Summit featured keynote remarks 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 economic stability opportunities for all residents. "Housing instability, food insecurity, and widening wealth gaps are interconnected, and our response must be just as connected," Mayor Bass explained. "This Summit is about bringing together strong partnerships to turn commitment into action."
High-impact panel discussions focused on advancing policy reform to dismantle poverty, strengthening housing stability across Los Angeles, and aligning economic development with living-wage opportunities. The Summit served as a platform for significant announcements, including a major 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 aims to create a more coordinated, accessible, and effective system of City services.
Another major announcement was the formal launch of the Office of Community Wealth and Empowerment, which will advance the City's commitment to financial empowerment through anti-poverty programs and policy. Through a partnership with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, Los Angeles will receive funding and advisory support for framework development and launch. The Office will house existing cash assistance and children's savings initiatives while laying groundwork to implement the Financial Empowerment Center model, strengthening 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 "this Office of Community Wealth and Empowerment, with dedicated leadership, is more than the sum of important individual programs – it's a catalyst for truly embedding financial empowerment work across government."
The Summit represents a critical moment for Los Angeles to align resources, break down silos, and commit to measurable progress in addressing systemic poverty. For more information about CIFD programs, visit https://www.LA4Families.org.
