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Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to pay nearly $15 million to extend renter assistance funding into next spring, meaning funds will continue to flow temporarily to a coalition of organizations that provide legal aid, rent relief and eviction defense to struggling tenants.
The backstory: The coalition, Stay Housed L.A., has been funded by the city and county of L.A. since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The council and Mayor Karen Bass had approved a new contract for Stay Housed L.A., but City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto refused to sign it this summer, claiming the sole-source contract violated the city’s charter. Soon after declining to approve the contract, Feldstein Soto launched an audit of the Legal Aid Foundation of L.A., the lead contractor for Stay Housed L.A.
Where the process stands now: The city’s Housing Department put out a request for submissions in September for the new contract. But tenant advocates argue it’s unlikely that the city will have a new contractor in place before eviction defense and rent relief funding runs out for the existing Stay Housed L.A. contract.
LA extends tenant aid program as city postpones deadline for new contract bids
City officials recently announced the Housing Department “has determined a need” to postpone the submission deadline for the new contract. They did not provide a reason for the delay, and new dates have yet to be announced.
The details of the extension: The temporary contract extension will run through March 31. Barbara Schultz with the Legal Aid Foundation of L.A. — the lead contractor for Stay Housed L.A. — said providers are “grateful” for the extension, but the delays remain confusing. “Short-term extensions limit our ability to staff legal services and threaten to leave renters in limbo when they come for help,” Schultz said.