Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman are sharing information and resources to help renters stay in their homes.
Their announcement came just a few days before August 1, the date when certain rental protections created during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire. Tenants will be expected to pay any rent they missed from March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.
"We will only be able to solve our city’s homelessness crisis if we work to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place,” Bass said.
Raman hopes that the impending deadline “pushes us to reshape and transform our current system into one that proactively supports vulnerable tenants to stay housed, not just at this moment but over the long term.”
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The number of people experiencing homeless has increased over the past year, according to the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority’s annual report. The data show a 9% increase in the county and a 10% increase in the city from 2022, and Raman noted that there has been “a worrying uptick in eviction filings over the past few months.”
Public information campaigns
A statewide study of homelessness from UC San Francisco’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative identified that some of the root causes of the housing crisis are the high cost of living and a deficit in affordable housing. The study also found that “Many participants were unaware” of homelessness prevention services.
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The Mayor’s office and the Los Angeles Housing Department are trying to better connect with people by offering public information campaigns in “high-risk zip codes” and providing resources in different languages.
They paid for advertisements about rent protections on the radio, in community newspapers, on social media, and on the sides of taco trucks.
Outreach teams have reportedly connected with nearly 41,000 Angelenos to help people find resources to stay housed.
Important information for renters
Bass and Raman shared situations where renters may be guarded against evictions, and LAHD created a video describing renter protections in LA.
They explained that “Annual rent increases are prohibited through January 31, 2024 for rental units subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance,” so tenants should file a complaint if they suspect an illegal rent increase.
The Resources for Renters guide provides contact information for city programs and nonprofits that people can reach out to for more help with housing, like the LAHD and StayHousedLA.
