LOS ANGELES–The City of Los Angeles has launched an emergency renters assistance program aimed at helping the hardest-hit Angelenos when a moratorium on evictions expires in June.
The city’s latest rent assistance program will provide some relief to those most in need.
The program will cover 80% of past-due rent for those lower-income Angelenos who are selected. Through a mix of federal and state funding, the city said it expects to help 64,000 families through $259 million that’s now available to fight evictions and provide direct rent assistance. Applications open on March 30 and recipients will eventually be chosen at random.
To qualify, applicants must:
* Live in the City of Los Angeles, with the city saying immigration status doesn’t matter. The city added that since its “borders are a little all over the place, you might want to actually check” that they live within the city’s jurisdiction.
* Have one or more people in the household who have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs or experienced other financial hardship as a direct result of the pandemic.
* Have household income at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI).
For Better or Worse…
One analysis noted that for better or worse, eligible applicants will be chosen through a random selection process to participate in the program and that it should be noted that 56,000 Angelenos are already wait-listed for rent assistance. The city noted that an applicant does not actually have to be behind on rent to apply, but the program will give priority to those paying past-due, unpaid rent.
Applicants who are chosen can have up to 80% of their past-due rent covered for the period of April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021, but only if the landlord agrees to waive the remaining 20%. Funds paid out will go directly to the landlord.
If the landlord doesn’t agree to the terms, selected applicants are still eligible to have 25% of rent paid for that period, as well as up to 25% of rent for three upcoming months.