A socialist who sells herself as a champion of struggling renters in Los Angeles is secretly living a life of luxury, the California Post can reveal.
Faizah Malik, 41, the Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate challenging moderate Councilmember Traci Park, 50, on Los Angeles’ Westside with a campaign centered on rent reform and housing affordability, lives in a sprawling, $2.5 million mansion in Venice Beach.
The sprawling home sits on a 5,780-square-foot lot with a private enclosed yard, with sun-drenched interiors and high-end finishes throughout.
It has an all-white kitchen with stainless steel appliances, multiple bedrooms opening onto private balconies and a deck designed for outdoor dining, a rare luxury in the expensive enclave.
The property is tucked inside Penmar, near the Penmar Golf Course, a neighborhood of single-family homes where prices typically start at $1.7 million and climb to $4 million.
A Zillow listing has the property’s rental estimate at $8,000 a month, a far cry from the struggling renters she claims she will represent.
The average Angeleno pays up to $3,000 a month for a place to live, according to a March rental market trends report by Zumper.
Only 9 percent pay more than $6,000 a month for rent.
But when The Post contacted Malik, her spokeswoman suggested she too was feeling the squeeze: “On the Westside, there are renters that are in every possible financial situation, and there are homeowners who are feeling enormous financial pressure as well.
Hellbound and Down 