The city of Los Angeles has launched the Emergency Renters Assistance Program, aiming to provide financial aid to low-income renters at risk of homelessness due to COVID-19 or other financial hardships. This program, funded by Measure ULA (also known as the “mansion tax”), offers up to six months of assistance.
Renters can apply online at housing.lacity.org or by phone at 888-379-3150 during the application period, which began at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and ends at 6 p.m. on October 2. To be eligible, residents of Los Angeles must meet certain requirements:
– Be a resident of the city, regardless of immigration status. To verify your residency, visit neighborhoodla.org.
– Have experienced a loss of employment, reduction in household income, significant costs, or other financial hardship between March 2020 and the present.
– Have unpaid rent to their current landlord for any month(s) between April 2020 and the present.
– Have a current household income at or below 80% of the area median income.
The program has a total funding of $18.4 million available. “This is not a first-come, first-serve portal,” stated Ann Sewill, general manager of the L.A. Housing Department. “You can apply today, tomorrow, or anytime.”
This is the fourth time the city has offered financial assistance for paying back rent since the beginning of the pandemic, previously serving hundreds of thousands of people. According to U.S. Census data, an estimated 80,000 households in Los Angeles are behind on rent. “We know that $18.4 million is not going to be enough to cover the whole need, but it’s certainly a start,” Sewill said.
Anna Ortega, assistant general manager of the housing department, highlighted that about 60% of Los Angeles renters are low-income and approximately 50% are severely rent burdened. She encouraged renters to visit the housing department’s website for more information and assistance in both English and Spanish.
In-person appointments and visits to Family Source Centers are also available for application assistance. In August, the L.A. City Council approved a $150 million plan, funded by Measure ULA, to support tenant protections and affordable housing.
Measure ULA is a sales tax on properties worth over $5 million (4%) or $10 million (5.5%). The revenue from this tax is allocated towards renter protections and initiatives such as rental assistance programs, eviction defense, and the construction of more affordable housing units.
Tenant protections for back rent accumulated between March 2020 and September 2021 ended on August 1. Many Angelenos may now face eviction as they work to pay off any overdue rent. For rent accrued from October 2021 to January 31, 2024, tenants have until February 2024 to fulfill their payment obligations.
The Housing Department will launch an online portal on October 23 to provide financial aid to mom-and-pop landlords. Landlords who own 12 or fewer units can submit an application with the city. “It will be an opportunity for landlords whose tenants may not have applied in the first phase to submit their application, and the program will review the landlord’s eligibility and invite the landlord’s tenants to also apply,” explained Ortega.
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