State Launches COVID-19 Rent Relief Program

LOS ANGELES — The State announced, March 15, the launch of a CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program, intended to help income-eligible households pay rent and utilities, both for arrears and future payment. Supported by the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief provides financial assistance to income-qualified tenants experiencing housing instability and provides rent reimbursement to landlords for unpaid rent accrued between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

The decision by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to Opt-In to the statewide program will offer a singular, uniform framework to be deployed throughout California and avoid unnecessary confusion about competing programs among residents. The Board is confident in the State’s selection of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to serve as the lead agency in the County, tasked with bringing together ground-level partnerships with local communities to assist in the implementation of the program.         

LISC will establish and manage the program’s expansive Local Partner Network with community-level partners to ensure that all regional geographies and target communities and tribes throughout California have access to the program.

The Board of Supervisors supports the efforts being brought forward by the State. To that end, the Los Angeles County Development Authority County or LACDA is working closely with the State and its partners to make sure the program will effectively enroll those households most impacted by COVID-19 and whose housing stability has been jeopardized by the pandemic. By partnering with established organizations in hardest hit communities, and continually working together to make the application process seamless, the State will provide person-centered and culturally relevant guidance to Californians most in need of rent relief.

The LACDA will remain actively engaged with the State throughout the rent relief deployment process to provide guidance and technical assistance given the agency’s extensive experience deploying multiple rent relief programs within the past year.  

Resources and application information are available at HousingIsKey.com. A CA COVID-19 Rent Relief call center is available to get help answering eligibility questions, for application assistance, and to provide information on local assistance. The call center may be reached by calling 833-430-2122 between 7 am and 7 pm daily.