UCLA Luskin Institute selects Kirk as 2026 Activist-in-Residence

Chelsea Kirk has been named a 2026 UCLA Activist-in-Residence, a program which “supports artists, community organizers, and movement leaders as they undertake power-shifting scholarship and pedagogy focused on social change.” For her residency project, Chelsea will “undertake research to support public housing preservation efforts in Los Angeles and the region”. 

As SAJE reports, “Chelsea is an organizer, researcher, and policy advocate whose work is oriented toward building a better world without predatory landlords. Born and raised across Southeast Los Angeles, she has been a member of the Los Angeles Tenant Union since 2016 and is currently director of policy and advocacy at SAJE, where she leads campaigns to advance tenant-centered solutions to the climate crisis. After the January 2025 wildfires, she founded the Rent Brigade to confront illegal rent gouging through a crowdsourced spreadsheet, practices that have made it difficult for wildfire survivors to rehouse.”

Congratulations, Chelsea!