BUILDING THE MOVEMENT TO HOUSE LA

Leonora Camner
Executive DirectorLeonora leads the organization day to day, building greater support for the growing network of AHLA volunteers who help us support housing. In addition to being a YIMBY, Leonora is a believer in RHNA, the housing element process, and the need to create funding for housing subsidies. Leonora has been a member and volunteer of Abundant Housing LA since 2016. She is a long-time advocate for more housing and more affordable housing. She served on the Santa Monica Housing Commission from 2019-2022. Outside of Abundant Housing LA, Leonora is a mom of two girls. She is also on the board of Random Access Democracy, a democratic lottery advocacy organization. Previously, she was an attorney working in the non-profit sector to defend tenants from eviction. Additionally, she worked for the No on Measure LV Campaign in Santa Monica against an extreme anti-development ballot measure. She graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. For undergraduate studies, she attended New York University.

Jaime Del Rio
Organizing DirectorJaime is a LA native born and raised in the San Fernando Valley with a bachelor's degree from CSUN as an Urban Planner. He joins Abundant Housing LA with over six years of Community Organizing experience organizing in marginalized communities at LA County. Previously before joining Abundant Housing LA, Jaime worked at TreePeople, where he led outreach efforts on a Need Assessment WaterTalks survey and organized on Water Equity issues. He also worked at Neighborhood Housing Services of LA County, advocating and organizing on affordable housing/homeownership and environmental justice issues. Outside Abundant Housing LA, Jaime enjoys biking at the LA River and discovering new hiking trails to hike during his free time.

Scott Epstein
Director of Policy and ResearchScott brings over 15 years of experience in research and public policy to Abundant Housing Los Angeles. He has previously worked as a researcher at the RAND Corporation and UCLA CRESST, as well as a public health worker at UCLA’s Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center. As the Chair of the Mid City West Neighborhood Council for 7 years, Scott fought for abundant and equitable housing in his own community. More recently Scott was proud to earn the endorsement of Abundant Housing LA and a dozen other progressive organizations in his candidacy for LA City Council. Scott is also active in the Democratic Party, including currently as a board member of the Miracle Mile Democratic Club. He earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Duke University. Scott lives in Carthay Square with his wife and daughter, and enjoys hiking, biking, exploring LA’s neighborhoods and restaurants, and taking in film and theater.

Joshua Gonzales
Education DirectorJosh comes from the psychology and therapy space and uses training as a social worker to engage with community, build relationships, and advocate for social justice. He began working with Abundant Housing LA to establish a USC Chapter and joined the team as a Field Organizer shortly before graduating with an MSW from USC. Now working as Education Director, Josh is taking on the challenge of amplifying a pro-housing narrative with a sturdy foundation of racial justice and equity. Aiming to make housing history and community leadership accessible to all, Josh relies on empathy and compassion to craft pro-housing narratives that respect and validate differing perspectives as a means of finding a YES where we may have only heard NO. In his free time, Josh enjoys music, meditation, and reading tarot cards to relax and recharge.

Cynthia Clemons
Field Organizer

Cynthia has a background in providing homeless services in both New York City and Los Angeles. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Cynthia has worked as a Case Manager and Residential Manager for The People Concern in Santa Monica. Working from a shelter and directly with its clients, she learned more about the causes of homelessness and the barriers those affected face to becoming housed. Desiring to make more of an impact on the policies and resources available in the community, she became involved with Abundant Housing LA and later joined the organization as a Field Organizer.

Cynthia’s experience also includes serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Crimea, Ukraine, comedy writing, and teaching English. In her free time, she enjoys beautifully designed LA cafes and restaurants, exploring California, and film and television.

Omar Prudencio Gonzalez
Director of Engagement & Leadership DevelopmentOmar Prudencio Gonzalez is a South Central LA native and a proud son of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from Long Beach State. He held numerous student leadership positions, including serving as student body President during the COVID-19 pandemic. He joins AHLA with experience in the local and national government, political campaigns, and university student affairs. During his free time, he enjoys working out, spending time at the beach, hanging out with friends, and loves to dance.

D. Denell Gibson
Field OrganizerWith a background rooted in marketing and public relations; Denell has been able to use her skill set to engage the community to galvanize support to enhance our quality of life in California through policy. Derika Denell Gibson, known to many as Denell, is a communications professional and marketing strategist who specializes in editorial placement, media coverage and event management. Having worked with clients in the manufacturing, consumer retail and entertainment industries; she has developed a palate of experience that consistently generates multiple methods of engagement and effective relationship building. Denell has overcome homelessness more than once, in which fuels her housing advocacy on a personal level; as she can speak to the many layers of the homelessness crisis in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles County from an autobiographical lens. She also volunteers with Housing California – Residents United Network, in which she participates in lobbying days and civic engagement. Denell enjoys working out, reading and watching classic movies on her free time.

Jacob Pierce
Field OrganizerA former journalist, Jacob spent more than a decade living in Santa Cruz, California, where he prioritized coverage of homelessness and affordable housing. He later worked for the county of Santa Cruz. In southern California, Jacob helped run Monrovia Housing and Tenants Advocates, a local chapter of Abundant Housing LA. He grew up in one of LA County’s more exclusionary communities. He is passionate about reversing patterns of segregation, exclusion and inequity in the region.

Alexandro Zambrano-Tamayo
Programs Administrative CoordinatorAlexandro Zambrano-Tamayo was born and raised in the South Bay (Carson) and is a proud son of Immigrant parents from Mexico. After attending the University of California Santa Barbara, he moved back to LA to pursue his passion of giving back to the community that helped mold him into the person he is today. Alex has spent the last six years at CASA of Los Angeles working towards providing advocacy to foster youth and families in the dependency system. During his time at CASA, he aided in establishing new policies and programs to better serve the needs and wants of the volunteers and the families they worked with. He has seen first-hand the effects of housing, lack of resources, and lack of support within our communities. During his free time Alex enjoys photography, running, and actively going to Disneyland with his wife.