The Los Angeles Council passed a motion to establish an emergency relief program that will help low-income Angelenos who have lost their jobs, or are facing an adverse economic situation, due to the rental of the home because of the coronavirus epidemic.
The motion of Los Angeles Council President Nury Martinez was approved by the full Council, and a final vote is expected in the coming weeks. It is a matter of waiting for the report from the Housing Department that will indicate to the councilmen how much families can be helped.
The program would begin operating with $ 1,150,000 contributed under state law AB 1290 that would be transferred to the Emergency Tenant Relief Program by COVID-19. But the goal is to raise up to $ 30 million to help tenants pay their rent.
"For those who live up to date, check after check, the pandemic is not just a health crisis but an economic one," said Council Member Martinez. "Even before the coronavirus, we had a crisis of the homeless, this disease has the potential to make thousands of families lose their homes," he emphasized.
The City of Los Angeles has already taken action to establish a moratorium on home evictions, and gives up to a 12-month period after the coronavirus emergency was declared for tenants to pay all rent owed. These supports also include immigrants.
This help is of great importance since itn the city and county of Los Angeles, half of its residents are tenants. To the 58% will lose 30% of their income in rent, while a third designate more than 50% of their salary in rent.
The plan was based on information that shows that since the pandemic began, many workers in Los Angeles have been laid off or had their hours reduced.
"These families burdened with rent, will have difficulty paying when the crisis is over," said Martinez.
Federal assistance
Governor Gavin Newsom managed to get nearly 200 banks and credit unions to suspend mortgage payments for 90 days.
But in search of greater protections for Angelenos, the council leader and councilmen Mitch O’Farrell and Mónica Rodríguez also approved an emergency resolution asking Congress to provide billions of dollars of assistance to tenants and homeowners impacted by COVID-19.
They argued that while a $ 2.2 trillion federal economic recovery package was approved for businesses and individuals, help is desperately needed to meet housing needs across the United States, including Los Angeles, the nation's second largest city.
“Beyond doing everything we can to prevent people from dying from COVID-19, we need all levels of local, state and federal government to work together to alleviate the economic devastation that will come, if we do not protect housing in the nation, ”said Martinez.
"Real relief is needed to keep people in their homes, during and after the pandemic, and collaboration at all levels of government," added Council Member O'Farrell.
Meanwhile, Councilwoman Mónica Rodríguez indicated that long before COVID-19, economic insecurity and poverty were a pandemic, and during this crisis it has been quite a challenge to face these problems without adequate federal support.
"A decade ago, we watched as Washington bailed out Wall Street and the big banks. Congress needs to get it right this time and rescue tenants, homeowners, small business owners", full.
It was on March 4, when Governor Newsom and Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a state of emergency and issued the "Stay at Home" order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
In Los Angeles, there is already a history of supporting tenants with rent. Last year the Council approved an emergency relief program that helped dozens pay the difference in rent increases, thus preventing them from being evicted. This was prior to the state law that went into effect in January of this year, and that established rent control in California, authorizing annual increases of up to 8% only.
