Built to Stay: LA’s Fight for Home
Laura Raymond, Housing Justice Advocate & Former Executive Director of ACT-LA
Built to Stay: LA’s Fight for Home
Now Streaming Everywhere
Laura Raymond, Housing Justice Advocate & Former Executive Director of ACT-LA
Longtime housing advocate Laura Raymond joins the show to spotlight the community-led strategies providing real, lasting solutions to LA’s housing crisis. Explore the actual blueprints reshaping the city—from social housing and decommodification to community land trusts—and see how frontline organizations are taking control of their neighborhoods’ future from the ground up.
Featured Video
Beyond the overwhelming headlines, the reality is clear. Community-led solutions to LA’s housing crisis are working.
Tune into the fourth episode of Season 5 of Conversations from the Frontlines, Liberty Hill President & CEO Shane Murphy Goldsmith sits down with longtime housing justice advocate Laura Raymond. As the former Executive Director of ACT-LA, Laura shares her insights in a powerful conversation about LA’s fight against displacement and the coalitions building a different future.
While overwhelming news headlines and immediate housing crises often trap us in short-term thinking, Shane and Laura discuss the difference it makes when movements lead with a clear, community-led vision for the future. Together, they unpack how frontline organizations are moving beyond just fighting the bad and are instead stepping into collective power to build their own community resources and long-term strategies.
From social housing to community land trusts, this episode highlights what Liberty Hill has believed for half a century: the people closest to the issues are closest to the solutions. When communities have the power and resources to lead, Los Angeles can become a place where everyone can stay, thrive, and shape their own future.
Meet our Guest
Laura Raymond
Laura served as ACT-LA’s Executive Director for ten years, from 2015 to 2025. She worked with coalition leadership and staff to build ACT-LA into a coalition with 49 organizational members, eight staff and to increase its budget tenfold. During her time directing ACT-LA, Laura led the United to House LA coalition to win Measure ULA, the largest revenue source for housing in LA’s history. Laura chaired the Yes on Measure ULA campaign; she was a primary drafter of the measure, directed all aspects of a campaign involving over 200 organizations and served as the main spokesperson for the campaign, She went on to be appointed by Mayor Bass to the ULA Citizens Oversight Committee where she played a key role in drafting ULA’s program guidelines. Laura also served on the steering committee of Our Future LA coalition which led the successful campaign to pass Measure A in LA County.