Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
At the EMS briefing July 29, LA County experts and partners provided information on how immigrant residents can access rental assistance help to prevent evictions, and more. This month’s community cohost is the Pars Equality Center’s LA district director Peyman Malaz.
Los Angeles County offers an array of programs to help renters stay in place and help homeowners avoid foreclosure despite the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unrepresented tenants in LA County get displaced 99% of the time, but if they get representation, they avoid displacement 95% of the time. The program is available to qualifying LA county tenants regardless of their immigration status and is accessible at www.stayhousedla.org.
Manny Ruiz, Senior Policy Analyst/Consumer and Business Affairs Specialist, LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs said LA County Board of Supervisors voted June 22 to extend an eviction moratorium through Sept. 30.
The moratorium bars landlords in the county from evicting tenants who cannot pay their rent because of financial circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained the Stay Housed L.A. program which is a partnership between Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles and local community and legal service providers. The LA County board’s motion protects commercial evictions as well as residential.
The program connects tenants facing eviction with legal assistance and virtual educational workshops to help keep Los Angeles County residents in their homes. Virtual Know Your Rights workshops are also offered by participating community organizations to provide L.A. County residents with critical information about permanent and emergency tenant protections that can help tenants facing eviction or other challenges related to their rental housing. Manny added that these services can be reached by stayhousedla.org or call 1888-694-0040.
Jessica Hayes, Disaster Recovery Branch Chief, California Department of Housing and Community Development explained the CA Covid rent relief program. The program provides financial assistance for landlords and income-eligible renters impacted by COVID-19 for unpaid or future rent and utilities. She said applicants may qualify regardless of immigration status and will not be required to show proof of citizenship. Funds received through these programs are not considered Public Charge. All applicant information is kept private. Program assists with 100% of unpaid rents and utilities from the eligible period.
To continue to be protected from eviction after 9/30/21, renters must show proof that they have applied for rent relief and are waiting to find out if they will receive assistance. More information to come soon on Housing is Key, added Jessica. They can apply through the website https://housing.ca.gov/covid_rr/ or call 1-833 430 2122. If a landlord does not cooperate, we can pay the tenant directly after a certain period of time. She said we encourage the landlords to participate and this program is designed to help all of us. We have 120,000 applications filed statewide, 32,392 active applications in LA county, said Jessica.
Cindy Shin, Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles said the program also offers full-scope eviction defense services in which LAFLA attorneys will represent tenants in court. Providing tenants with counsel is critical to leveling the playing field and would significantly improve the likelihood that eviction cases are decided fairly and on their merits, said Cindy. If you live within the city, you don’t have to pay 25% by that date, but if you can pay 25% you put yourself in a much better position because it ensures that your landlord cannot evict you for the remaining 75%, no matter how long it takes you to pay it, said Cindy.
Throughout the pandemic many of these protections and timelines have shifted, and they may shift again before it’s over.
