{"id":23170,"date":"2020-03-31T22:03:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T05:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=23170"},"modified":"2020-03-31T22:03:20","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T05:03:20","slug":"many-la-county-tenants-protected-from-rent-hikes-during-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=23170","title":{"rendered":"Many LA County Tenants Protected from Rent Hikes During Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles, CA (March 31st) –<\/p>\n

With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening people\u2019s health and livelihood, the Board of Supervisors have taken significant and timely steps to protect renters.<\/p>\n

During their March 31st<\/sup>\u00a0meeting, the Board unanimously ratified an Executive Order that Chair Kathryn Barger issued on March 19th<\/sup>\u00a0to impose a temporary\u00a0moratorium on evictions<\/a>\u00a0during the emergency caused by COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Building on this effort, the Board also unanimously banned rent increases for thousands of tenants in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County under a\u00a0motion<\/a>\u00a0introduced by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.<\/p>\n

Both the eviction moratorium and rent freeze are retroactive from March 4th<\/sup>\u00a0and apply at least through May 31st<\/sup>. On March 27th<\/sup>, the Governor also issued an Executive Order that authorized a moratorium on evictions statewide.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have enough to worry about right now, with COVID-19. They shouldn\u2019t also have to fear ending up on the streets because they can\u2019t pay rent,\u201d Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. \u201cWith this motion, the County is taking urgent and necessary steps to help people stay housed and prevent the coronavirus from exacerbating our affordable housing shortage and the crisis of homelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rent freeze currently protects tenants who live in multi-family housing built before February 1995 in the unincorporated areas. At Supervisor Hilda Solis and Chair Barger\u2019s request, the County\u2019s lawyers are evaluating whether the protections approved by the Board can be expanded to protect tenants countywide. Rents can go up as much as 8 percent over a 12-month period in some jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

“A rent freeze will be an invaluable relief for so many in our community who worry non-stop about how to make ends meet,” said Rabbi\u00a0Jonathan Klein, Executive Director of HOPE for All, an economic justice and opportunity advocacy organization. “Thanks to the Supervisor and Los Angeles County for taking the initiative to keep individuals and families in their homes during these precarious, frightening times.”<\/p>\n

“A rent freeze will go a long way toward helping people whose lives have been drastically upended by this pandemic,” said Rev. Zachary Hoover, executive director of LA Voice, a multi-racial federation of 70 churches, synagogues and mosques across the County. “It’s commendable that the Supervisor and Los Angeles County are doing whatever they can to ease the burden that COVID-19 has placed on our families, friends, neighbors and coworkers. This is not only smart, it\u2019s morally the right thing to do. When we care for one of us, we care for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alberto Retana, president & CEO of the nonprofit Community Coalition, hailed the rent freeze. \u201cCommunity Coalition applauds Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas for introducing\u00a0the amendment to deepen tenant protections by implementing a rent freeze,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Board\u2019s unanimous approval further demonstrates that the Supervisors are doing everything in their power to keep residents in their homes during the COVID-19 crisis. It will take members of the community, especially low-income renters, months to recover economically. This rent freeze goes a long way in making sure they are not burdened by the added stress of unrealistic repayment obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the County\u2019s eviction moratorium, reinforced by Governor Newsom\u2019s March 27th<\/sup>\u00a0Executive Order, applies to people unable to pay rent due to the following circumstances:<\/p>\n