An end to the County’s eviction moratorium, Sherman Oaks Little League lights, and more! | 4/02/23
Dear Friends,
Friday marked the end of the eviction moratorium in Los Angeles County. While the City’s moratorium sunset in February, the County had extended their protections for tenants at certain income levels.
Here’s what renters in Los Angeles can expect moving forward –
If you are living in an RSO unit:
You CANNOT be evicted for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 impacts if you pay any back rent owed in full before the deadlines below:
If you owe back rent from March 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2021, that back rent is due in full by August 1st, 2023.
If you owe back rent from October 1st, 2021 to January 31st, 2023, that back rent is due in full by February 1st, 2024.
AND,
You CANNOT receive a rent increase until at least February 1, 2024.
If you are living in a non-RSO unit:
You also CANNOT be evicted for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 impact if you pay before the deadlines below:
If you owe back rent from March 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2021, that back rent is due in full by August 1st, 2023.
If you owe back rent from October 1st, 2021 to January 31st, 2023, that back rent is due in full by February 1st, 2024.
BUT,
You CAN receive a rent increase. If your unit is protected under State Bill AB 1482, you cannot receive an increase of more than 10% of your current rent.
As pandemic related tenant protections come to an end, my team and I have fought hard to add some of the strongest tenant protections in the City of Los Angeles since the Rent Stabilization Ordinance went into effect 40 years ago. For more information about these new protections, be sure to visit our Renters Rights page HERE!
In solidarity,
Nithya
Councilmember Nithya Raman
I. In The District – Hosting A Conversation With LADWP, Lighting Up The Sherman Oaks Little League Field, Serving Residents At Our Community Potluck, Doorknocking in Encino
II. Updates From City Hall — Establishing A Right to Counsel, Introducing Democracy Voucher Program, Reforming The Coordinated Entry System, Creating A City-Wide Response To Vehicular Homelessness
III. Upcoming Events — Free Organics Recycling Pail Pickup, FreeMovie in the Park, LA River Cleanup
IV. Resources & Forums – Youth Development Department Community Forum, LAHD Renter Protections Webinar, LA Regional Small Business Legal Aid Program
V. Construction & Closures — Griffith Park Blvd.
VI. Other Helpful Links
HOSTING A CD4 CONVERSATION WITH LADWP
Last week, we hosted a public information session with LADWP to learn more about what should be expected of the department during a storm-related outage, their plans for changes in storm response and what resources are available to residents. Our office will continue to remain in close contact with the department, working to ensure that we can deliver accurate information and improve response times going forward.
In the meantime, here’s what we can expect from LADWP over the short term:
Improved real-time communications during power outages via additional personnel stationed at LADWP’s central command center and with crews in the field.
Adding options for renters, not just building owners, to report power outages online.
Reporting back on improvements in web-based and utilization of text message communications with customers.
An official assessment of recent storms and planned improvements that will be heard by the Board of Commissioners and Los Angeles City Council.
LADWP also plans to make long term improvements that will both increase information about outages and bolster the resiliency of infrastructure in the face of future extreme weather events, including:
Automating metering systems to provide more accurate information to customers.
Automating power distribution systems by adding monitors to these systems to be able to isolate problems and fix them quickly.
Modernizing infrastructure by replacing poles, transformers, and wires across the City.
If you missed the webinar, you can watch the Zoom recording on our website, HERE!
LIGHTING UP THE SHERMAN OAKS LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD
I was so thrilled to join the Sherman Oaks Little League parents, friends, and community to celebrate their first game under their new lights.
The Sherman Oaks Little League Board has been working hard to get lights at the field for years, and it was so fun to join Barbara Romero (General Manager of LASAN and Little League Coach), Larry Slade, other past Sherman Oaks Little League Board leadership, and Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live! to throw out the first pitch! I am in awe of current President Azzie Mackenzie’s dedication and hard work to make every player’s experience the best it can be. My son Karna plays in the League and he absolutely loves his team and his coaches.
Can’t wait to see you all in the big leagues!
SERVING RESIDENTS AT OUR COMMUNITY POTLUCK
One of the things I’m asked most often about our homelessness crisis is “how can I help,” so last Saturday we hosted our very first CD4 Community Potluck at one of our district’s interim housing sites! We were joined by community members, volunteers, and residents of the site for a hygiene kit distribution, arts & crafts, and most importantly – a shared meal.
I also had a special moment with one of our residents as we chatted about how important privacy and community are in these housing sites. Often, just having a door that locks provides people with a little bit of dignity and makes a world of difference in their journey off the street and indoors. That’s just what our interim shelter site does and I’m grateful we’ve been able to connect so many of our unhoused neighbors with stable housing, a warm meal, and resources like this.
Thank you to our incredible partners for helping to empower and care for these residents! This day would not have been possible without the support of the Harvard Westlake Parent Club, Immaculate Heart, Valley Beth Shalom, Corita Art Center, Color Me Mine in Studio City, and all the amazing volunteers who contributed their time and brought additional donations!
DOORKNOCKING IN ENCINO
Last weekend, I joined Encino resident and community leader Jodie Francisco and our Encino Field Deputy Itzel to go door-to-door across the neighborhood and ensure residents know about the City’s new organics recycling program. We distributed a FREE composting pail to everyone we met and I had the opportunity to speak with folks face-to-face and address any community concerns first-hand – my favorite part of the job!
Since the organics recycling program took effect in January, my office has been working in partnership with LA Sanitation to conduct outreach and education regarding the new requirements, including hosting giveaways in neighborhoods across the district to pass out organics recycling pails. In just three months, we’ve given out over 2,500 pails – more than any other organization in the City!
ESTABLISHING A RIGHT TO COUNSEL
In February, I introduced a motion to establish a Right to Counsel ordinance and program for tenants in the City of Los Angeles facing eviction who can’t afford a lawyer to represent them. And last week, City Council voted to adopt this legislation!
What Right to Counsel is trying to do is end our era of precarity and move into one of stability – keeping people in their homes and combating the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline that has exacerbated the homeless crisis for years. We are finally building a city where, if you end up in a situation in which you could lose your housing, someone will be there to support you.
Last week, along with my colleagues Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Hugo Soto-Martinez, I introduced a motion to direct the City to report back on establishing a Democracy Voucher program to empower all Angelenos, regardless of income or background, to have the opportunity to donate to candidates who reflect the interests of their community.
In Los Angeles, the City Council does not currently reflect the diversity and makeup of the city, in no small part due to who is able to contribute to campaigns. Democracy vouchers offer an opportunity to remedy this issue. By making campaign financing accessible to all, the City can boost political engagement, diversify the donor pool, and ensure that candidates and officeholders are more representative of the electorate.
To follow this motion as it moves through Council, be sure to sign up for alerts on the City Clerk’s website HERE!
REFORMING THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM
Established in 2010 and managed by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the Coordinated Entry System – or CES – is the first and most essential step from the street to housing for tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness. The system maintains a real-time list of individuals experiencing homelessness in local communities and matches people to available housing resources and services that best fit their needs.
But right now, this system is being hindered by inequities in matching people with housing placement, essentially under-prioritizing unhoused residents of color from getting into housing, and delaying matching people in the system to permanent homes. I introduced a motion earlier this year to reform the City’s Coordinated Entry System to ensure equity and efficiency in permanent housing placements, which passed last week.
CREATING A CITY-WIDE RESPONSE TO VEHICULAR HOMELESSNESS
In November of last year, City Council adopted my motion to develop a comprehensive City-wide rehousing strategy for people experiencing Residential Vehicle (RV) homelessness. The legislation required the CAO to report back with recommendations to develop this strategy, including securing appropriate interim shelter and housing for people living in RVs across the City, creating incentives for voluntary relinquishment of RVs used as dwellings, and expanding safe parking programs. Last week, that report was adopted in full Council.
The new proposed citywide rehousing strategy for people experiencing RV homelessness includes a number of different housing-focused and housing-supportive components, such as:
Outreach and case management
Service referrals and linkages
Voluntary RV storage
Incentives for relinquishing RVs
Temporary RV storage
Expansion of 24-hour safe parking
Interim and permanent housing resources specifically for this population
The proposed strategy also incorporates efforts necessary to address the impact of RVs on the City’s streets and sidewalks and on the surrounding communities, such as RV disposal, expansion of waste removal efforts, and sanitation cleanups.
FREE ORGANICS RECYCLING PAIL PICKUP | APRIL 2 | MORE INFO
To make the transition to organics recycling easier, LA Sanitation and LA City Council District 4 are providing FREE dishwasher-safe countertop pails! To reserve a pail in advance click HERE!
Join us Saturday, April 8th as we kick off our Spring Movies in the Park series with a FREE screening of “Minions: The Rise of Gru!” This family-friendly event will have music, community booths, and refreshments— don’t forget to bring chairs and blankets! Sign up HERE!
DATE: April 8
TIME: 6:00PM – 9:30PM
LOCATION: Studio City Recreation Center, 12621 Rye Street Los Angeles, CA 91604
LA RIVER CLEANUP IN DISTRICT 4 | APRIL 15 | MORE INFO
Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) is proud to host its 33rdAnnual Great LA River CleanUp, inviting everyone to ‘Earth with Us’ through art, education and stewardship, and celebrate the region’s 51-mile winding connective center in honor of Earth Day. The annual event has been updated to offer additional ways for people to activate their passion for the River: in addition to traditional River CleanUps, volunteers will also be able to participate in Habitat Restoration, Nature Walks, and River Education Activities.
Our office will be at the Great LA River CleanUp at Sunnynook River Park, located in Griffith Park on April 15 and would love to see you there! Register to be a volunteer HERE!
DATE: Saturday, April 15
TIME: 8AM to 12:30PM
LOCATION: Sunnynook River Park
401 Riverside Dr Los Angeles, CA 90039
For more information on the seven site opportunities on Saturday April 15 and Saturday, April 22, visit FOLAR’s website HERE!
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY FORUM | APRIL 4 | MORE INFO
For the past 9 months, the City of LA’s Youth Development Department (YDD) has been developing a Citywide Youth Development Strategic Plan. The plan is built on the foundation of years of advocacy by the Invest in Youth Coalition and other community partners, the Executive Task Force on Youth Development, and input from thousands of youth.
YDD is asking young Angelenos to join them to preview the plan, provide input, and discuss next steps. Register for an upcoming community forum below:
LAHD Renter Protections Webinar | APRIL 5 & APRIL 12 | MORE INFO
Join the Los Angeles Housing Department at one of their weekly webinars as they provide an overview of the City’s new renter protections. The one-hour webinar will provide information on the expansion of “Just Cause” eviction protections to all rental units in the City of Los Angeles, including units not subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO).
The webinars will be presented by LAHD’s Rent Stabilization Staff. The session will be held via Zoom. To learn more about renter protections, visit their website HERE to view a recorded webinar and read a summary of the rules on eviction, rental arrears, and rent increases.
You can also visit our CD4 Renter Resource Page to learn more about what rights and protections are afforded to you depending on the type of unit you rent, who you can contact for help, and more.
LA REGIONAL SMALL BUSINESS LEGAL AID PROGRAM| MORE INFO
The LA Regional Small Business Legal Aid Program provides free legal assistance or representation to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The program provides help on a wide range of issues, including:
Contracts and commercial leases
COVID relief
Business structure and entity formation
And more!
The program is administered by the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD), in partnership with the County of Los Angeles Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Public Counsel and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. The program provides free legal help to small businesses ranging from basic legal information to representation by an attorney to help address immediate and long-term legal issues.
Location: Griffith Park Blvd from Rowena Ave to St. George St
Details: Streets LA has advised that cold mill prep and street resurfacing will take place on Griffith Park Blvd from 3/10-4/10. They ask that residents adhere to the temporary No Parking signs to ensure resurfacing projects are completed on time. StreetsLA is making every effort to minimize the need for parking enforcement by providing residents with updated street work schedules.
Contact: Superintendent Staff, 213.485.1860
Our Office:
Sign Up For Updates — Newsletter, Small Business Newsletter, Volunteer Corps Updates
