Azeen Khanmalek
Executive DirectorOver the past 4 years, Azeen has served as the Director of Affordable Housing Production across two Mayoral administrations, helping to lead the City of Los Angeles’ efforts to accelerate and expand the pipeline of affordable housing. As part of this work, he has worked to lead the implementation of the Mayor’s Executive Directive 1, which has expedited the approval and permitting of affordable housing projects by over 6 months. He has worked with an array of City Departments to drive forward new initiatives to streamline the permitting and approval process. In addition, Azeen has also led housing production policy development and advocacy for new housing production programs. This has included advocacy and implementation of large-scale programs like Project Homekey, revisions to the City’s Density Bonus implementation program, and implementation of the Housing Crisis Act. An urban planner by training, Azeen previously worked at the City’s Planning Department, where he worked to establish affordable housing incentive programs as part of the City’s zoning code update, and at the LA City Council, where he helped lead the approval of the City’s first ordinance regulating home-sharing. A native Angeleno, Azeen grew up in Palms and currently resides in Cypress Park with his wife and daughter. When not working, he enjoys reading, biking, playing tennis, and the outdoors.
 
Email: azeen@abundanthousingla.org

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.
 
Email: scott@abundanthousingla.org

Joshua Gonzales
Education DirectorJosh has lived in several parts of LA county, including Northridge, Palmdale, and Downtown. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Psychology and a master’s degree in Social Work. Josh has experience engaging with community members from South LA in therapeutic settings and in program development. He performed an evaluation of a Los Angeles Dodger Foundation parent group and is consulting with franchised restaurants to design innovative solutions for employee retention issues. Recently, Josh began collaborating with Abundant Housing LA to establish a USC Chapter. In all of his work, Josh sets an intention to incorporate decolonization and the advancement of racial justice and equity. In his free time, Josh relies on music, meditation, and reading tarot cards to relax and recharge.
 
Email: joshua@abundanthousingla.org

Omar Prudencio Gonzalez
Director of Engagement and Political Affairs Omar 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.
 
Email: omar@abundanthousingla.org

Jacob Pierce
Housing Elements AnalystA 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.
 
Email: jake@abundanthousingla.org

Estefani Pedraza
Operations ManagerA proud Los Angeles native, Estefani has a deep appreciation for the city and the diverse communities that make it so special. She cares deeply about Los Angeles and feels fortunate to contribute to work that strengthens and improves the place she calls home. With a professional background rooted in operations, Estefani has spent most of her career supporting teams, building effective systems, and ensuring organizations run smoothly behind the scenes.
 
Outside of work, Estefani can often be found exploring different neighborhoods, admiring architecture, visiting art spaces, and being in nature.
 
Email: estefani@abundanthousingla.org

Courtney Alicia Miles
Senior Field OrganizerCourtney Miles is a Gardena native who expressed a passion for social justice and public service early on in life. With ongoing support from family, friends, and church members, she found the confidence to come out of her shell and find a voice within her calling. Courtney's primary motivation for approaching social justice issues starts with the kind of world that she would like to leave behind. In her spare time, Courtney enjoys dancing, yoga, cooking, collecting records, and going to Trader Joe's with her son, Stevie.
 
Email: courtney@abundanthousingla.org

Carmina Gomez
Director of Community OrganizingCarmina Gomez is the Director of Community Organizing at Abundant Housing LA, where she leads efforts to strengthen and grow a countywide network of grassroots chapters advocating for more abundant, affordable housing. With over 15 years of experience across public health, education, and community organizing, Carmina has built and led programs that center community leadership and drive systems-level change. Prior to joining Abundant Housing LA, Carmina served as Programs Manager at Los Angeles Walks, where she developed and led a countywide Safe Streets Promotor Program. Through this initiative, she trained and supported community leaders—primarily from Spanish-speaking neighborhoods—to advocate for safer infrastructure and engage directly with public agencies, contributing to the implementation of life-saving street improvements. Her work involved close collaboration with agencies such as LA Metro and Caltrans, as well as community-based organizations across Los Angeles County. Carmina has also worked as a consultant with Fractal Strategies, where she led project planning and supported community-based evaluation efforts in partnership with public agencies and local organizations. Earlier in her career, she worked as a public school educator and program advisor, where she focused on leadership development, civic engagement, and building pathways for young people to participate in their communities. A first-generation Mexican American and proud Angelena, Carmina is deeply committed to improving the quality of life for working families by building community power and expanding access to opportunity. She holds a B.S. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from the University of Southern California and a teaching credential from New Mexico. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys cooking, spending time outdoors, and exploring the city with her family.
 
Email: carmina@abundanthousingla.org

Xóchitl Quetzali Carranza
Communications and Development ManagerXóchitl Carranza is the Communications and Development Manager at Abundant Housing LA. She is an experienced Communications innovator with over seven years of experience primarily in the non-profit field. She has been a life long creative crediting her passion for art from going to her local public library and learning to draw by copying the superheroes from her favorite comic books. Growing up to a single, immigrant mom in rural Nebraska pushed her into a life of at the intersection of advocacy and art. Since getting her BA at the University of California, Berkeley, Xóchitl has dedicated her career to building communications departments from the local level to internationally. As a trained Graphic Designer and Artist, she's worked with partners like Nintendo, non-profit organizations, and you can even see her billboard designs in the LA sky such as her work above the PCH. She has a deep passion for advocacy issues surrounding LGBTQ+ Rights, Homelessness, Domestic Violence Survivors, Racial Equity, Accessibility, and much much more! She is thrilled to be bringing her skills and passion to AHLA.
 
Email: xochitl@abundanthousingla.org