Rental Aid: Some LA residents could receive up to $5,000 per household

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LOS ANGELES - A new $3 million rental aid program for Los Angeles tenants and landlords in the 13th District opened Monday.

Councilman Mitch O'Farrell's program is expected to provide up to $5,000 per household for renters in his district who make 80% or less of the area median income, or AMI.

The city's eviction moratorium due to COVID-19 hardship is set to expire on Jan. 31. Landlords can resume increasing rent on rent-controlled apartments beginning in February 2024.

O'Farrell's West LA district has the highest number of rental and multi-family units in Los Angeles, according to Anna Ortega, assistant general manager of the city's housing department.

Under the eligibility requirements, a family of two making up to $76,250 or a family of four making up to $95,300 would qualify for the program. Landlords who own four or fewer units plus a single-family home can also apply on behalf of their tenants.

The program will open to applications through Nov. 4 at 11:59 p.m. O'Farrell said it is unclear how many people the program would help until it is fully subscribed, but his office noted it is expected to assist "thousands" of renters and mom-and-pop landlords in the district.

A $1 million program he introduced at the beginning of the pandemic providing $2,000 per household aided around 500 households, according to O'Farrell's office.

Applications can be found at: cd13.com/rentalaid. Applications can also be submitted by calling a rental subsidy hotline at 855-490-3481, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.