Since 2024, the DTLA Residents Association (DTLA RA) has been working to make Downtown Los Angeles a community where people want to live long term. The group hosts events, surveys residents and advocates for improvements, giving those who live Downtown a say in shaping their community.
The association was co-founded by Cassy Horton and Leslie A. Ridings, who aim to make Downtown the “best possible place to live.” Horton is a nonprofit and public policy leader whose work focuses on improving the lives of children. She is the executive director of Pickles Group, an organization that helps children whose parents are battling cancer.
Ridings, a native Angeleno and the son of Latino immigrants, spent more than a decade working in the arts before becoming an attorney. He now works in corporate law and handles pro bono cases supporting immigrant and tenant rights.
“A lot of people have these outdated thoughts about Downtown and what it is, and they don’t think about it like a community where people live,” Horton said. “We’re really trying to make Downtown the best place to live and make it a multi-generational community.”
The association organizes its work around three main pillars. The first focuses on connecting neighbors. DTLA RA hosts events on the third Thursday of each month in neighborhoods ranging from Chinatown to South Park to the Arts District.
“They’re big neighborhood mixers, where people can just get to meet their neighbors and support small businesses in the community,” Horton said.
Historically, residents haven’t stayed Downtown for long. On average, people live there about 18 months, Horton explained. She believes that getting to know neighbors and feeling part of a community encourages people to stay longer and improve the neighborhood over time.
The second pillar is encouraging residents to vote. DTLA RA helps with voter registration, informs people about upcoming elections and increases awareness of how local politics affect the community. The third pillar focuses on advocating for livability issues. The association uses its annual resident survey to learn what residents care about and prioritize projects that address those concerns.
“We’ll jump in, and we’ll listen to the neighborhood and figure out what residents need and want,” Horton said. “We’ll advocate on those issues.”
DTLA RA is currently conducting its 2026 resident survey, asking people what they love about Downtown and what they want to improve. In their 2025 survey, residents said their top concerns included homelessness, mental health and substance use crises, unsafe public conditions, lack of green space and slow economic recovery.
Responding to these concerns, the association actually helped secure cafe lighting on Broadway and Seventh Street and $4 million in overtime funding for the LAPD Central Division. The group also coordinated two Shine LA community cleanups, supported small businesses, replanted trees and raised $6,000 to support Downtown fire stations.
In addition to these efforts, they ensure residents have a voice in broader initiatives, such as the Skid Row Action Plan. Horton said the association is building relationships with the county to ensure residents, both in Skid Row and outside it, can be included in decisions about housing and mental health services.
“It’s taken a lot of work for us to be able to know who’s involved in these decisions and to get a seat at the table. I think the average resident Downtown does not feel like those issues are being addressed quickly enough,” Horton said. “… As soon as we get these survey results, we will really be zooming out on and figuring out if this plan is not moving the needle quickly enough, or it’s not doing enough to help folks in the neighborhood thrive and get on their feet, then what else do we need to do?”
DTLA RA represents about 3,000 residents across Downtown, where the population is estimated at 100,000. Ridings explained that DTLA RA covers neighborhoods across Downtown, from Chinatown to the warehouse district, the Arts District, Skid Row and the Financial District. He added that the group aims to build a unified community even when residents may not agree on every detail.
The association also collaborates with local organizations, including the Central City Association, YMCA, Para Los Niños, DTLA Run Club, South Park Neighborhood Association and ASU California. These partnerships help DTLA RA host events and connect more residents with community resources.
While the group does not endorse candidates for office, it also works to ensure those running for positions that affect Downtown understand residents’ priorities. Horton said many Third Thursday events are dedicated to giving residents the opportunity to meet candidates, including for the county supervisor seat, city council positions and the mayoral race.
As the association continues its work, residents can still share their input through the annual resident survey, giving DTLA RA insight into what matters most to the community. The next Third Thursday gathering is Thursday, Feb. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., with the location to be announced on DTLA RA’s Instagram page and website.
“I think everybody agrees on what the challenges are. And I think that people have different opinions about how to address them, but I think the Downtown community is very unified on wanting to address them in a material and thoughtful way,” Ridings said.
DTLA Residents Association