For Rent sign (Photo –
Steven Damron)
New rent relief program will benefit mom-and-pop property owners hardest hit by non-payment of rent.
By News Desk
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on Jan. 24 co-authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly J. Mitchell that establishes a $45M countywide relief fund for small property owners.
During the Board’s deliberation on extending protections to prevent more homelessness in L.A. County, Supervisor Barger addressed the importance of also extending support to mom-and-pop property owners mired in debt and in danger of losing their properties due to unpaid back rent from their tenants.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, “I’ve heard loud and clear from my constituents who are property owners who are struggling to meet their own utility, mortgage, and property insurance payments. They aren’t exempt from meeting their financial responsibilities, so it’s high time we offer small property owners relief as well. We can’t turn our backs on them.”
The motion builds upon the Board’s prior directive to Los Angeles County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) to design a landlord assistance program to help small property owners with their costs.
DCBA’s recommendation was to set aside a total of $5M to help qualifying landlords with expenses directly related to the non-payment of rent from their current tenants. DCBA further recommended individual relief awards should be capped at $30,000 per property owner.
This newly approved motion expands the recommended $5M allocation significantly, to $45M for small property owners, and specifies up to $30,000 can be provided per unit. Property owners who accept the relief funds must agree to not evict their tenants for non-payment of rent.
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