Meet Eunisses Hernandez

Eunisses Hernandez is a community organizer, daughter of Mexican immigrants, and Councilmember for Los Angeles' District 1. A lifelong resident of District 1, Eunisses has dedicated her career to creating systemic change that addresses the needs of her community.

Since taking office in December 2022, Councilmember Hernandez has been at the forefront of efforts to tackle the housing crisis in LA. She led the charge in passing the strongest tenant protections in over 40 years, co-introduced a motion to ensure the successful implementation of Measure ULA, and opened Northeast New Beginnings, an innovative interim housing model that has already helped individuals experiencing homelessness transition into permanent housing.

Councilmember Hernandez has fought to stop harmful developments like the proposed trucking depot in Lincoln Heights, pushing forward environmental justice legislation to address brownfields and orphaned oil wells. She co-authored the Sanctuary City ordinance which passed with unanimous support and has partnered with several immigrant advocacy organizations across the district to host free Know Your Rights trainings and resource fairs for undocumented constituents. 

In line with her care-first agenda, Councilmember Hernandez launched a district-wide Peace Ambassador program and a Mobile Overdose Response Unit, which saved over 24 people in its first two months alone. She also chairs the inaugural committee on Unarmed Crisis Response and helped launch a groundbreaking citywide unarmed crisis response pilot program. The program, rooted in community-based, trauma-informed care, has produced remarkable outcomes—successfully de-escalating hundreds of incidents without law enforcement and connecting residents in crisis to life-saving support.

As Chair of the Public Works Committee, Councilmember Hernandez brings her deep belief that investing in basic infrastructure—sidewalks, streets, tree trimming, and waste services—is a critical form of public safety. Her leadership has brought renewed attention to long-neglected neighborhoods, and has educated countless Angelenos on the importance of investing in City services.

In her first year in office, she was the only councilmember to vote no on the City's budget, citing concerns over inequitable resource allocation. Her principled stand inspired change, and by her second year, two more councilmembers joined her in voting against the budget, signaling growing support for a more equitable approach to City finances. Today, as a member of the Budget and Finance Committee, she leads the charge on fiscal responsibility and budget transparency, demanding more equitable spending.

Councilmember Hernandez has also taken bold action in MacArthur Park, a historically underserved area and cultural hub for immigrant communities. Recognizing the urgent need for long-term investment, she secured over $25 million in public and private funding to improve safety, cleanliness, and access to services in the park and surrounding neighborhood. These efforts have led to significant decreases in violent crime, open-air drug use, and illegal dumping.

Prior to entering public office, she co-founded La Defensx, a femme-led advocacy organization dedicated to shifting Los Angeles County’s reliance on criminalization and incarceration toward systems of care that center human dignity. She was instrumental in policy victories like Measure J and Care First, Jails Last, which reallocate resources into community-based services and alternatives to incarceration.

She is running for re-election to continue fighting for a Los Angeles where safe and dignified housing is a human right, where no one has to choose between food or rent, where immigrants are welcome, and where our budget invests in care, infrastructure, and community.