An agreement announced yesterday between the City of Los Angeles and the State of California will open up rental assistance funds to Angelenos impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every Angeleno who has had their livelihood upended by this pandemic and is in need of rental assistance should be able to get it, full stop,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a prepared statement. “COVID-19 has dealt a devastating blow to our residents, and it’s our responsibility as a government to help them weather this crisis. This partnership with the State builds on our local rental relief efforts to make it clear that every renter who is eligible for rental assistance will be able to access this program.”
Starting at 7:00 am on September 1, renters and landlords in the City of Los Angeles will be able to submit applications to the state program through HousingIsKey.com. Qualified applicants who have already applied for funding are to be provided instructions on how to secure payments.
The agreement will enable access to roughly $5.2 billion in federal relief dollars received by the State, which will be responsible for processing applications and distributing funds. That pot of money is expected to cover all back rent owned by low-income renters impacted by the pandemic.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the city has allocated nearly $100 million to provide rental assistance to residents impacted by the pandemic, with more than 49,000 households receiving funds over six months. Additionally, the city's Housing Department is now distributing $69 million in federal aid, with an additional $196 million earmarked for renters with approved applications. To date, the city has been allocated by $235.5 million in relief funding - an amount which still pales in comparison to the more than $500 million in rental debt that has accrued since the start of the pandemic.
For assistance filling out applications for rental assistance, prospective applicants call a dedicated hotline at 833-687-0967. More information is also available at hcidla.lacity.org.
