A Letter from Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis
Dear Friends,
Earlier this week, the Biden-Harris administration announced its plan to provide student loan relief to working and middle-class families. Every day, millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet with today’s costs of living – and student loans have only made that burden heavier. This is especially true for children of immigrants and people of color who have been able to fulfill the American dream of a college education only to be straddled for years with the debt of that dream.
I thank President Biden for keeping his promise of student loan debt relief for borrowers who need it the most. The three-part Student Debt Relief Plan includes:
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Providing up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year or households earning less than $250,000 are eligible for debt cancellation.
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Extending the federal student loan pause a final time through December 31, 2022, to provide borrowers a smooth transition back to repayment.
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Making the student loan system more manageable for current and future borrowers by cutting monthly payments in half for undergraduate loans and holding schools accountable when they hike up prices.
I am so grateful for this historic action which will narrow the racial wealth gap and advance racial equity. By delivering this much-needed relief, working and middle-class families across the country will have a chance at creating generational wealth.
More information will be available to borrowers in the coming weeks to find out whether they qualify for debt cancellation and more details on the proposed revamp of the repayment program. Go to studentaid.gov/debtrelief to sign up to be notified automatically when this information is available.
Sincerely,
Hilda L. Solis
Supervisor, First District
I'm happy to share that another monkeypox vaccination site has been launched in the First District. This site is located at the Highland Park Senior Citizen Center and the hours of operation will be Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 am - 1 pm, serving up to 200 eligible people per day.
Additionally, the eligibility to receive the monkeypox vaccine has been expanded to gay or bisexual men or transgender persons who have had skin-to-skin or intimate contact, such as kissing and hugging, with persons at large venues or events in the past 14 days and to people of any gender or sexual orientation who engaged in commercial and/or transactional sex in the past 2 weeks.
Public Health is now accepting walk ups at their vaccination PODs while supplies last. To find information on locations, click here. Residents can receive the most up-to-date information on monkeypox, appointments, and vaccine availability by signing up for the monkeypox newsletter at publichealth.lacounty.gov. Those without internet or who need assistance can call (833) 540-0473, 7 days a week from 8 am – 8:30 pm.
 The Department of Economic Opportunity will soon launch the Elevate Program, which helps hundreds of youth to elevate their careers and employers boost their businesses. Through this program, the County will hire 500 youth ages 17-24 and will match them with qualifying businesses. Employers will improve productivity, and reduce payroll costs as the County will pay for 100% of the youth's wages and will elevate their local community by offering quality career opportunities to young adults.
Employers must be located in LA County, in the sectors of healthcare, infrastructure, trade, logistics e-commerce, transportation and warehousing, advanced manufacturing, entertainment, creative arts, informational technology, and hospitality. In addition, they must commit to evaluating participants for hire after completion of the program.
 LA County is creating the first Youth Climate Commission which will make recommendations, offer ideas, and provide input to the Board of Supervisors on LA County's climate-related goals, plans, actions, policies, and initiatives.
There will be a total of 25 Commissioners countywide. Applicants must be 18 or older, live in LA County, and meet one of the criteria below:
- Demonstrate leadership on climate change, sustainability, environmental issues, and/or environmental justice.
- Reside in a community negatively impacted by environmental justice issues and/or disproportionately burdened by pollution or climate impacts.
- Identify as part of an underrepresented Group, e.g. Former foster youth, youth experiencing or who have formerly experienced homelessness, formerly justice-involved youth, LGBTQ+, American Indian and Alaska Native, etc.
The last day to apply is Thursday, September 15 at midnight.
 Veterinary Public Health has received funding from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support surveillance for COVID-19 in animals in LA County. This project will help the Department of Public Health to learn more about the significance of COVID-19 in human, animal, and environmental relationships.
 Celebrate National Dog Day by rescuing a dog from one of our animal care centers! Until the end of August, dog adoption fees will be reduced to $20. Reduced fees include adoption, microchip, spay/neuter, and vaccination fees
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