The Politics of Housing: Who Represents You? 4/28 BNTC Meeting
Most people don't know who their council member is. That's not an accident, and it's not a personal failing. It's what happens when systems are designed to be confusing, when decisions get made in language that feels inaccessible, and when the people most affected by those decisions are the last ones invited to the table. Next Tuesday, we're changing that.
On April 28th, the Black Neighborhood Tenant Council is hosting The Politics of Housing: Who Represents You? at BLK Fuse Media Space, 275 E Market St, Long Beach. Dinner starts at 5:30. The meeting begins at 6:00. And if you're a Black renter in this city, this meeting was built with you in mind.
We have two invited guest speakers joining us that evening: Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie. These are people inside the rooms where housing decisions get made, and we want you in the same room with them, not watching from the outside, not reading about it after the fact, but present, informed, and ready to ask the questions that matter.
Long Beach is moving fast. With major development on the horizon, decisions about zoning, city budgets, code enforcement, and who gets to stay in this city are being made right now, through processes that most residents never see and were never taught to navigate. The Adinkra symbol on our flyer says it plainly: this is a space grounded in humility, wisdom, and learning. We don't come to these meetings pretending we have all the answers. We come because the answers belong to us collectively, and we build toward them together.
Here's what we'll cover: who makes housing decisions in Long Beach and how that power is structured, how policy moves from a council chamber to your lease, what zoning and city budgets actually have to do with your rent and your neighborhood, and how to show up to public meetings prepared and confident. Before you come, take two minutes to find your council district at longbeach.gov/redistricting/maps/current-maps. Knowing who represents you is step one.
This is community-led organizing. It is rooted in the belief that housing is a human right, that Black liberation and collective power are not abstract ideals but daily practice, and that education, awareness, and leadership development happen in rooms like the one we're building next Tuesday.
Come hungry. Come with your questions. Come ready to be in community with people who are done waiting to be invited in.
RSVP at blmlongbeach.org/rsvp.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | Dinner 5:30 PM | Meeting 6:00 PM | BLK Fuse Media Space, 275 E Market St, Long Beach, CA 90805
Hosted by the Black Neighborhood Tenant Council in partnership with Long Beach Residents Empowered (LIBRE) and BLM Long Beach Grassroots.
