Los Angeles Passes New Rent Relief Package

The city will offer a new round of rental assistance to eligible families who owe back rent.

1 minute read

March 29, 2021, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Little Tokyo Los Angeles

vmiramontes / Flickr

Ellina Abovian reports for KTLA on the City of Los Angeles' new $259-million rent relief initiative, which the city council approved on March 2. The Emergency Renters Assistance Program uses federal funding to assist tenants making 50% or less of area median income (AMI) with the goal of helping "local families get back on their feet just as coronavirus case rates are declining, with the end of the pandemic finally in sight."

The program follows a similar initiative last year that provided rental assistance to 49,000 families, according to city officials. Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez "said thousands of families in L.A. are struggling to pay back rent amounting to around $4,000 to $7,000" and that "at least 90,000 Californians have fallen behind on their rent payments."

Eligible households must also demonstrate that they "qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 outbreak." According to the city's website, "eligible applicants will be chosen through a random selection process." The program will pay 80% of past-due rent, "but only if the landlord agrees to waive the remaining 20%."

The application window for the new program opens on March 30.

Friday, March 26, 2021 in KTLA

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square