September 28, 2022, City Council President Pro Tempore Mitch O’Farrell introduced a motion that would provide $3 million in rental assistance for tenants in Council District 13 (CD13).
Since the beginning of the pandemic, O’Farrell has been a leader in establishing rental assistance programs. His $1 million in initial rental assistance helped 500 CD13 households stay in their homes, and was used as a model for additional citywide relief programs, beginning with the $100 million citywide Emergency Rental Assistance Subsidy, launched in 2020, which provided approximately 49,000 applicants (8,739 in CD13) with subsidies of $2,000 each. Then, in 2021, The City launched the $221 million citywide Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which provided approximately 18,000 applicants citywide with an average payment of $12,000 each.
When approved by the City Council, the new CD13 Rental Aid Program introduced by O’Farrell is expected to begin accepting applications in late October, and will be available to CD13 renters who make 80% or less of AMI.
Both tenants and landlords can apply. Once the program is up and running, CD13 renters and “mom and pop” landlords will be able to access the application via Councilmember O’Farrell’s website, and assistance will also be available at O’Farrell’s Echo Park district office.
Online applications Mitch’s rental aid program open on Monday, October 24, 2022 at 8am and stay open through Friday, November 4, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.