Help Us Fight Small Business Displacement in NELA

Small businesses are more than storefronts. They are the fabric of our communities.

In early 2026, Read Books, a beloved used bookstore in Eagle Rock, faced displacement after nearly 20 years in the neighborhood. After the building was sold, the bookstore's owners, Jeremy and Debbie Kaplan, were told their monthly rent would increase by 133%. They were initially given just 30 days' notice and only 11 days to decide whether to accept the new terms or leave. Instead of quietly walking away, they started researching their rights. They discovered California's Commercial Tenant Protection Act (SB1103) and pushed back. The notice was ultimately amended to 90 days.

But something bigger happened.

As word spread about Read Books, community members, attorneys, activists, and other small business owners began reaching out. The Kaplans started hearing stories from other businesses in Northeast LA facing similar rent increases, displacement, and pressure from new property owners. What began as an effort to save one beloved bookstore became a movement to help protect small businesses across Northeast Los Angeles. That's how SNELAS, Save Northeast Los Angeles Shops, was born.

We're Here to Help Small Businesses Fight Back

SNELAS is a grassroots group of small business owners and community members helping other small businesses understand their rights, find resources, connect with one another, and organize for change. We are not a nonprofit or a large organization. We're neighbors helping neighbors.

Our immediate focus is education and connection. We're organizing workshops and community resource fairs where small business owners can:

Learn about their rights and commercial tenant protections
Connect with pro-bono and low-cost legal resources
Get information about issues such as commercial leases, displacement, eviction, and ADA-related lawsuits and compliance
Connect with other business owners facing similar challenges
Find community resources and support

We want small business owners to know their rights and their options before a crisis happens.

A large group of people holding signs that say things like Save our small businesses, save read books, we demand fair rent increases.

Building Long-Term Change

Education and individual support are important, but we also believe lasting change requires addressing the policies and systems that leave small businesses vulnerable to displacement. We are working toward longer-term solutions by organizing, building relationships with policymakers, developing community-based strategies, and advocating for legislation that strengthens protections for small businesses and helps preserve locally owned businesses in our communities.

We are also exploring innovative ways for communities to have a greater stake in the commercial spaces where local businesses operate, including the development of community investment funds that could help acquire and preserve commercial real estate for long-term community benefit.

As our coalition grows, we will work with small business owners, community members, legal experts, policymakers, and other partners to identify and advance solutions that address the challenges businesses are facing today while creating a more stable future for small businesses.

Our goal is to help small businesses move from reacting to displacement to having a meaningful seat at the table when the rules are being written, and ultimately, a greater stake in the future of the communities they serve.

A young man standing on a stage in front of a group of people who attended a community meeting and resource fair.

Where Your Contribution Goes

People have asked us, "How can I help?" This fundraiser is one way to support the work.

Your contribution helps cover the basic costs of building a grassroots organizing effort, including:

📚 Educational materials - Printing guides, flyers, handouts, and other materials for workshops and community outreach.
🤝 Workshops & community resource fairs - Supplies, snacks, refreshments, and other basic costs that help us bring business owners and community resources together.
📧 Communication & organizing tools - CRM/email platform, and other tools that help us keep small business owners informed and connected.
🏛️ Advocacy & organizing -As our work grows, we hope to bring small business owners and community members to Sacramento to meet with legislators and advocate for policies that protect small businesses. Donations may eventually help cover travel and related organizing expenses.

A woman standing in front a group, discussing community actions

Help Us Keep Our Communities Local

When a small business disappears, we lose more than a storefront. We lose jobs, services, gathering places, neighborhood character, and relationships built over years. Read Books showed us what can happen when a community refuses to simply watch a beloved business disappear. People showed up. They organized. They connected businesses with resources. And they started asking what could be done to prevent the next one from being pushed out.

That's what SNELAs is all about. We're not just fighting to save individual businesses. We're fighting for the communities those businesses make possible. If you've ever walked into a neighborhood shop and thought, "I hope this place is here for years to come," you already understand what's at stake. If you've ever asked, "What can I do to help?" we're inviting you to be part of this effort.

Every contribution helps us reach more small business owners, provide information and resources, build community connections, and grow our collective voice.

Our Growing Coalition

We know that protecting small businesses is bigger than any one organization. Our work is strengthened by relationships with community organizations, legal professionals, advocates, and neighborhood leaders who share our commitment to keeping our communities vibrant and locally owned.

We are grateful to our community partners, including Inclusive Action for the City, Public Counsel, Bet Tzedek, SAJE, Little Tokyo Community Impact Fund, and the Los Angeles City Council District 1 and District 14 offices, who are helping us connect small business owners with resources, expertise, and support. As SNELA grows, we are continuing to build a network of partners who can help us reach more businesses and create meaningful, lasting change.

Fighting displacement for small business in Northeast LA