Meet Henry Mantel, Candidate For Los Angeles City Council District 5

LOS ANGELES, CA — Henry Mantel, 33, is vying to be elected to the Los Angeles City Council, representing District 5.

In the June 2 primary, incumbent Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky will face two challengers: Mantel and Morgan Oyler.

Learn more about Mantel's goals for Los Angeles:

What is your educational background?

I hold a J.D. from the University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law, where I concentrated on studying government and public policy. Prior to earning my law degree, I graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in East Asian studies and creative writing.

What is your professional background?

I have over a decade of political experience as an organizer, volunteer coordinator, researcher, community outreach director, and attorney.

As an eviction defense attorney, I fought to hold abusive landlords accountable and protect tenants’ rights. Until recently, I worked for a private firm suing landlords for slum housing conditions. I served as a Mid-City West Neighborhood Councilmember for two years and currently serve on the Park La Brea Residents’ Association to help my community.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

I served as a Mid-City West Neighborhood councilmember from 2023 to 2025.

What are the top three issues facing Los Angeles right now?

I believe the city of Los Angeles is facing a number of major issues, with the top three being: the cost of living crisis, unaffordable housing, and unsafe streets. I’ve personally spoken on the phone with dozens of concerned citizens in my district and consistently heard the same grievances. Residents can’t afford rent or travel around LA safely, and they remain worried about the city’s lack of support for our unhoused population.

Young Angelenos are finding it difficult to afford to live here and pursue their passions, while older Angelenos are disproportionately subjected to preventable accidents due to our unsafe roads and streets. Though our numbers have been slightly decreasing, the city of Los Angeles still houses the second-greatest homeless population in the entire nation. As a tenants’ rights attorney and advocate for social justice, I am eager to tackle these issues as a City Council member and transform our city into one that’s inclusive and supportive for everyone.

What is one specific policy you would advocate for or introduce as a City Council member in your first year?

Los Angeles has a grave housing crisis that has inflated rents, created untenable living conditions, and allowed for unprecedented levels of landlord abuse. As a tenants’ rights attorney, housing affordability and homeownership opportunities are some of my key priorities.

As a City Council member, I plan to eliminate single-family zoning in my first year of office to allow for the construction of affordable mixed-use and multi-family developments.

Single-family zoning restrictions have driven the cost of a home to over $1 million on average, meaning that the dream of homeownership is far out of reach for working-class folks. In particular, communities of color, immigrants, seniors, youth, and those with disabilities are more often than not unable to afford our city’s steep prices.

Legalizing more housing will spark economic growth, alleviate homelessness, and help disadvantaged populations build generational wealth.

What specific actions should the City Council take to address homelessness, and how would you evaluate whether those efforts are working?

Addressing homelessness in LA will require a multi-faceted approach. First and foremost, LA needs to build a lot more housing. LA has had a shortage of housing since at least 1979; so long as that shortage exists, homelessness will persist. The City Council needs to be legalizing multi-family housing across the city and also investing in building more shelters as well as public and permanent supportive housing.

The city must also streamline its permitting process so that more housing can get built faster and more cheaply. Right now, it can take years and cost millions of dollars just to get the permits necessary to build housing.

The City Council should also invest in more mental health services and addiction treatments for those who cannot take care of themselves. Unhoused individuals are at risk of experiencing a host of physical and mental healthcare issues, and they deserve high-quality, rapid care and immediate shelter.

If the cost of housing decreases and the amount of unsheltered, chronic homelessness in the city decreases, then the efforts are working.

What is one specific change you would support through the City Council to improve public safety in your district or citywide?

Public safety is not a “one-size-fits-all” issue, but rather demands a variety of infrastructure improvements. All Angelenos are entitled to live safely and without fear, and I will support measures that improve community safety while not exercising undue fear-mongering or surveillance.

One major threat to public safety is our lack of safe streets. Last year, there were more deaths from traffic violence than homicides. We need to ensure that our streets are safe in order to prevent needless injuries and deaths from the city’s broken infrastructure and poor road design.

As it currently stands, our intersections are inherently dangerous; cyclists often share lanes with fast-moving cars, road signage can be inconsistent, and intersections themselves are not always visible. Therefore, the first measurable change I support implementing is accelerating the implementation of Measure HLA. In doing so, we will create safer intersections, promote smoother traffic flow, and reduce stress and confusion for all residents traveling throughout the city.

There are other changes I would support: building more shelters and Permanent Supportive Housing to reduce homelessness, expanding the city’s Unarmed Crisis Response Program, and holding the LAPD accountable for their poor response times.

How should the City Council balance housing development, neighborhood concerns, and state housing mandates in Los Angeles?

For far too long, bureaucracy and red tape have prevented vulnerable Angelenos from receiving access to affordable housing. Therefore, I believe the City Council should do everything it can to ensure we can build enough housing to solve the housing crisis — even if that means going beyond state mandates.

At the same time, neighborhood concerns must be taken into consideration. As a City Councilmember, I am committed to honoring and respecting the voices of those who have lived here for decades and want to preserve their way of life. Developers should collaborate with residents to make reasonable compromises and build housing that maintains the character of a given neighborhood.

I’m confident that by fostering relationships between neighborhood leaders, public servants, and housing developers, we can work toward a future that meets everyone’s needs while ensuring that Angelenos can continue to afford living in the city.

Why are you a better choice than your opponents?

My background as a tenant’s rights attorney doesn’t just mean that I understand the struggles of working-class people in our city; it means I’ve personally advocated for them and won. In this race, I’m running against accountant Morgan Oyler and incumbent Katy Yaroslavsky — both of whom lack the clear vision I have for making our city more affordable.

Morgan’s platform seems left-wing, but he previously (and unsuccessfully) ran twice as a Republican to serve in the Washington State Assembly. In contrast, I’ve consistently been a vocal Democrat and pledge to uphold progressive values on the City Council.

Katy hasn’t been able to make any progress toward solving our housing crisis; she’s just been kicking the can down the road. Instead, I’m prepared to make serious changes to our zoning laws, permitting process, and legal system in order to fast-track affordable housing developments and protect tenants. Unlike her, I also pledge to hold the LAPD accountable instead of just handing them more money, and I will actually work to implement Measure HLA and make our streets safer instead of dragging my feet on the issue.

Moreover, I’ve been endorsed by organizations that reflect my forward-thinking principles and commitment to equity, such as: Run for Something, Abundant Housing LA, and the Westside chapter of the LA Tenants Union. If elected, I’ll get to work for you on day one to end our housing crisis, stop displacement, and build a better Los Angeles for all of us.