Ktown for All is a left-progressive activist organization operating in the historically Korean-American Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The group, which claims to mainly rely on volunteers, provides services and support to the homeless, whom it refers to as “the unhoused.” ¹

Housing Advocacy

Ktown for All also opposes efforts by Los Angeles city authorities and law enforcement to remove homeless people from residential areas and take down makeshift shelters on public and private property. Claiming that current laws “criminalize” homelessness, the group stages demonstrations, mounts pressure campaigns on politicians, and supports legal activist efforts to prevent enforcement of current policies and implement new, more permissive ones. ²

Anti-Police Activism

In addition to homeless advocacy and opposition to city ordinances, Ktown for All has also criticized law enforcement practices and called for reducing the presence of police in Los Angeles. In July 2020, Ktown for All issued a lengthy response to a Los Angeles Times article which reported that approximately one in ten of the more than 18 million calls that city law enforcement had received since 2010 involved violent crimes such as homicides, robberies, and sexual assaults. In its statement, the organization claimed that police officers were “often sent to resolve problems that should require” what it called “their coercive powers.” It also claimed that “systemic racist and classist violence” is “inherent to policing” and “propagated by police forces.” The statement claimed that the Los Angeles police force was “hurting and killing people unnecessarily” and should be cut down in proportion to the percentage of violent crimes they respond to. It also called the claim that “policing is violence” a “fundamental truth.” ³

During the nationwide anti-police protests and riots in the summer of 2020, Ktown for All promoted the “Defund the Police” campaign on social media after a bullet fired by riot police hit a homeless man in a wheelchair who had been caught in the middle of a crowd of protesters. ⁴

Candidate Ratings

Ktown for All assesses candidates for municipal office based on their adherence to left-progressive views on housing policy, law enforcement, and other issues. In its 2020 “candidate report card,” the organization gave a positive assessment of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon (D), whose tenure was marked by a 49 percent spike in property crime and a 15 percent increase in violent crime, according to the Los Angeles Times. ^{5 6}

Legal Activism

In July 2019, Ktown for All filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles over a municipal code provision which allowed authorities to remove “bulky” items such as furniture, mattresses, and pushcarts, which are often left out by homeless people. In April 2020, a district court ruled that the ordinance likely violated the Fourth Amendment, and an appellate court affirmed the ruling in September 2021. Ktown for All activist Mike Dickerson celebrated the decision, calling the now-suspended ordinance “a terrible law. Dickerson also claimed that the city of Los Angeles needs to “pay more attention to unhoused people’s right [sic] and experiences” instead of “passing laws that criminalize homelessness.” ⁷

1. Ktown For All. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://ktownforall.org/
2. Ktown For All. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://ktownforall.org/
3. “Our Thoughts on LA Times’ Police Calls Analysis.” Ktown For All. July 7, 2020. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://ktownforall.org/2020/07/07/police-calls-analysis/
4. Ktown for All. Twitter. June 5, 2020. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://twitter.com/KtownforAll/status/1268797516151050240
5. Candidate Report Card. Ktown for All. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://ktownforall.org/candidate-report-card/
6. James Queally. “How Jackie Lacey’s and George Gascón’s time in office shapes the L.A. County D.A.’s race.” Los Angeles Times. February 18, 2020. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-18/district-attorney-election-jackie-lacey-george-gascon-race
7. “Legal Victory For Unhoused Residents Of City Of Los Angeles.” Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. September 7, 2021. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://lafla.org/stories-events/legal-victory-for-unhoused-residents-of-city-of-los-angeles/