LA COUNTY COVID-19 RENT RELIEF PROGRAM LAUNCHES AUGUST 17, 2020

Program Focused on Assisting Residents Located in High Need Areas of the County

Los Angeles County, August 17, 2020 - In an effort to assist renters with limited means affected by the COVID-19 crisis, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has provided $100 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to create a COVID-19 Rent Relief program, operated by the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA). The program is set to launch on Monday, August 17, 2020, and will remain open for a two-week period, closing on Monday, August 31, 2020.  The program’s goal is to assist between 8,000 to over 9,000 households.

The emergency rental assistance provided is intended to meet the needs of low-income renters who have struggled to pay their rent and/or who are behind on paying rent due to the economic impacts caused by the pandemic. Those who are most at need will be targeted with more assistance.

“The COVID-19 public health crisis created ongoing business limitations and closures, negatively impacting the livelihood of millions of individuals throughout Los Angeles County,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “I am committed to supporting our vulnerable residents by ensuring that they are able to maintain stable housing and do not fall into homelessness due to their inability to work and pay rent. This is also an important opportunity to provide necessary resources for landlords, many of whom are similarly struggling to pay their own bills.”

The program is available to all residents of the County who qualify, with the exception of residents living in the City of Los Angeles, as the City also received its own allocation of CARES Act funds.  A W-9 and participation agreement are needed from the property owners to receive rental income on behalf of their qualified tenant; property owners must agree to the terms of the participation agreement. Citizenship documentation will not be requested from any party (renter or property owner).

“We are facing a public health crisis that is upending the lives of hardworking families, many of whom live from paycheck-to-paycheck,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “Our COVID-19 relief strategies will protect our most vulnerable renters who are struggling to meet all of their financial obligations through no fault of their own.”

"This unrelenting pandemic is hitting low-income renters and mom-and-pop property owners particularly hard," Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. "By some estimates, up to 20% of families who have lost a job in LA County could end up homeless. They're in critical need of financial help now to keep a roof over their heads. The immediate infusion of this $100 million investment will go a long way towards keeping thousands of Angelenos housed. It's the massive down payment we need to stabilize the housing market."

“This initial funding for rent relief is designed with a laser-sharp focus on people who are at greatest risk of becoming homeless,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. “The County is employing multiple ways to assist renters who have lost income because of the pandemic, but our number one goal with this program is to identify and support those who stand to lose their current housing very soon if they do not receive financial support. Moving forward, we hope that the Federal and State government will partner with us to help assist the even larger population of additional people who are struggling to pay their rent.”

“This is a massive undertaking to not only help struggling tenants pay their rent, but also help property owners who depend on rental income to pay their mortgages,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Emilio Salas, Acting Executive Director of the LACDA, said, “The Countywide Rent Relief program created by the Board of Supervisors will address the worsened condition from which many lower income households have suffered due to the pandemic. While we recognize the demand is far greater than the funding available, this robust assistance will provide housing stability for some of our most vulnerable households, especially those in higher need areas.”

Starting August 17, 2020, residents can apply for assistance by contacting 211 L.A. via phone at 2-1-1 or through their website at 211la.org/lacounty/rentrelief. To be considered for this program, applications must be received August 31, 2020.  A media toolkit is available at bit.ly/RentReliefToolkit. A list of Frequently Asked Questions with more program detail and additional resources for residents is available at rentrelief.lacda.org.

###