PDLA holds mock assembly exercise
Public Democracy Los Angeles (PDLA) recently hosted a mock assembly for its members that gave participants a firsthand look at what it means to dive deep into a complex policy issue, reflect on their values, and make data-informed decisions. The topic? A pressing question for Los Angeles: “Should the city support a housing first approach to homelessness?” This event not only offered PDLA members an immersive civic assembly experience but also provided us with valuable insights to refine the process as we prepare to open future assemblies to a wider audience. The video of the mock assembly is here.
The assembly, held on September 4 via Zoom, began with a 30-minute introduction to civic assemblies, followed by an overview of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's (LAHSA) current priorities and relevant homelessness statistics. Participants then broke into small groups for a 30-minute discussion, focusing on weighing the pros and cons of the "housing first" approach to develop a more informed opinion on whether this should remain the policy. The session concluded with an online poll, where the "housing first" policy did not receive a majority.
This exercise was instrumental in highlighting areas for improvement. A key lesson learned was the importance of setting a clear, narrow remit to keep discussions focused and manageable within the available time. The topic, while relevant, was still too broad and complex to tackle in a single session. In a real deliberative assembly, exploring an issue of this magnitude might require around 40 hours of discussion to arrive at a well-informed consensus. Additionally, having adequate data and access to experts is crucial, as they provide essential insights and help participants make more informed decisions. In our mock assembly, this process was necessarily abbreviated, which made it more challenging for participants to thoroughly compare options and reach a consensus. This experience underscored that having a more specific problem statement is crucial for effective deliberation.
Organizing the mock assembly was a valuable investment of time and effort, serving as an important step in preparing us for future opportunities. Feedback from participants was positive, with 70% agreeing or strongly agreeing that the process helped them understand the purpose of a civic assembly, and 85% believing that it improved their understanding of how the civic assembly process works. We’re now refining our process and look forward to involving a broader audience in future assemblies.
PDLA will hold another mock assembly as part of the Neighborhood Congress on September 28th. The session will be led by Alexandra (Alex) Levi and Mike Draskovich at 2PM to 3:30 in room 1010.