Los Angeles renters in need of payment assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic can begin applying for the 2021 Emergency Rental Assistance Program on March 30, the city of Los Angeles' Housing and Community Investment Department announced Monday.
The department will provide a total of $235.5 million in state and federal funds to support L.A. renters and rental property owners who have been impacted by the pandemic.
The program is open to all low-income renters in the city, regardless of immigration status. Applicants must have a household income at or below 50% of the area median income, which is $39,450 for one person, $45,050 for two, $50,700 for three people, $56,300 for four people, $60,850 for five people, $65,350 for six people, $69,850 for seven people and $74,350 for eight people.
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Priority will be given to households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income.
The city provides two options for eligible applicants to receive the funding:
-- a cooperative approach for tenants and landlords, where payments are made to landlords to reimburse 80% of the eligible renters' unpaid rent accrued between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Under that option, landlords must waive the remaining 20% of the unpaid rent; or
-- eligible renters, who have landlords that declined to participate, will receive 25% of the unpaid rent that was accrued between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, and financial assistance to pay 25% of up to three months' future rent from April to June 2021.
People who applied for the 2020 Emergency Rental Assistance subsidy but did not receive rental assistance will be considered for this round on March 15, about two weeks before applications open to new applicants.
Between March 30 and April 9, applicants will be selected through a randomized process to determine the order they will be reviewed. Applications received between April 10 and April 30 will be selected through a second randomized process. The last day to apply is April 30.
Interested renters and landlords can get more information or apply for the program at hcidla.lacity.org.
