Applying for the Los Angeles Emergency Rental Assistance Program

IN L.A., RENTERS AND LANDLORDS HAVE BREAKING NEWS! Beginning September 1, 2021, Angelenos will be able to apply for rental assistance.

An eviction moratorium will be in effect in the City of Los Angeles until at least January 8, 2023, and will be extended on a monthly basis in accordance with the City’s continuous State of Emergency Declaration.

Renters in Los Angeles have a year from the moment the Emergency Declaration is withdrawn to pay back rent due to the COVID’s economic impact.

On August 25, 2021, the Los Angeles City Council approved many important improvements to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. (ERAP). These measures will provide more rental assistance to renters and landlords in the city of Los Angeles who have been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic as a result of a new partnership between the city and the state of California. LA residents who participate in this program will be able to access the $5.2 billion in federal emergency rental relief funding that the state has received. This program will ensure that all residents of Los Angeles who qualify for rent assistance will be able to get it.

When compared to the more than $500 million in rental debt revealed in the first year of the epidemic, Los Angeles’ rental assistance needs far outnumber the city’s $235.5 million in available finance. As part of the new partnership with the state, a greater pool of resources will be made accessible to Angelenos, ensuring that all qualified applicants receive rental assistance.

The City of Los Angeles and the State of California have launched a new partnership to deliver more rental assistance to L.A. residents, assuring that every renter and landlord who qualifies will receive it.

The State of California’s “Housing is Key” program allows tenants and landlords in the following Los Angeles City neighborhoods to apply for rental assistance and unpaid utilities:

As part of their application status, applicants who have been referred to apply to HousingIsKey.com (Check your status here).

Tenants and landlords who did not apply for the COVID-19 Emergency Renters Assistance Program in the City of Los Angeles in 2021.

Customers who have been paid, either directly to the landlord or directly to the tenant, and who require further financial assistance to make up for months of rental assistance that the City did not pay for are eligible to apply.

The Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) will continue to oversee the first wave of federal assistance, which will provide $235.5 million in rental assistance to tenants in the city of Los Angeles who have fallen behind on their rent payments. The applicant will be notified of their status, and they can check it by going to this page. Payments will be issued to people who have been approved for the program during the next few weeks. The payment will be communicated to both tenants and landlords, as well as the number of months of rental assistance that will be offered.

Renters who have already applied for the city’s Emergency Renters Assistance program will receive detailed instructions on what to do next from the Los Angeles Housing Department. In the area below, you’ll find further information.

To find out what your current status is, go to this page.

Beginning September 1, 2021, Angelenos who have not received notification of a pending or approved application, or who have not previously applied, will be eligible to apply to the State of California’s “Housing is Key” program through the website HousingIsKey.com. The State of New York will accept applications from both tenants and landlords. Citizens of the City of Los Angeles who submitted an application to the City’s program by April 30, 2021, will be given priority. The State ERAP hotline, which can be reached at (833) 430-2122, provides information in a variety of languages.

Rental property owners who have previously applied for the City’s program will get detailed instructions on the next steps through email, text message, or phone call. Go to the four categories indicated below for more information on the following steps in the application process:

Los Angeles is a city in the state of California, in the United States of America. Applicants who have submitted an application to the City of Los Angeles and received notification that their application has been approved will be reimbursed. The City will continue to approve your landlord’s request for the funding as long as you are a member of this group. If your landlord refuses to join, the amount of rental assistance you get will be paid directly to you. Payments are expected to begin in the coming weeks and continue into October. You will be notified via email, text message, or phone call if your situation changes. The amount of the payment and the number of months of rental assistance will be communicated to you in writing.

You can check the status of your application at https://cityoflaprod.service-now.com/eras?id=status search erap.

If you fall into this category, you will be able to apply to the State of California Housing is Key program for any additional months of rental assistance that you may need after obtaining rental aid from the City, but not before.

You will not be able to apply for the State’s program while the City is processing your application. You are not allowed to apply for the same months that you or your landlord get housing aid payments from the city. Duplicating benefits is considered fraud in both the state and federal governments and is strongly prohibited.

Applicants who were referred to HousingIsKey: Unfortunately, the number of requests for rental assistance considerably outnumbered the funds available. Applicants who do not qualify for rental assistance from the City of Los Angeles will be informed that their application has been sent to the State program. Fortunately, you will be able to apply for rental assistance through the State of California’s “Housing is Key” program, which will be accessible to you beginning September 1, 2021. The State program not only gives rental aid to eligible renters and landlords, but it also helps with utility payments and other bills.

Regardless of whether you have previously provided information to the City, you will need to create a new account and submit a new application to the State of California’s “Housing is Key” program. Citizens of Los Angeles who applied to the City’s program by April 30, 2021 and whose application was not funded by the City would be given priority consideration for the program. Applicants will be able to submit applications from both tenants and landlords.

Applicants can submit an application through the state’s website, housingiskey.com, beginning September 1, 2021. You will be needed to file a State application and supply supporting paperwork, even if you have previously submitted information to the City. If you need help with your state application, call the State ERAP helpdesk at (833) 430-2122. To meet your individual needs, assistance is provided in a variety of languages.

Starting September 1, you will be allowed to submit an application on the State’s website if your status on the City of Los Angeles Status Lookup link indicates that you have been referred to apply to HousingIsKey.com.

If you have already received rental help from the City, either directly or via your landlord, and you require extra months of rental assistance, you will be able to apply to the State of California Housing is Key program beginning September 1, 2021.

This implies you won’t be able to apply for rent assistance through the State’s program for the same amount of time (days or months) as you or your landlord were rewarded through the City’s program. Duplicating benefits is considered fraud in both the state and federal governments and is strongly prohibited. This group of people would have received notice that the rental assistance had been paid and that the months had been covered. Please contact us at hcidla.eras@lacity.org if you require a duplicate of this material.

New applicants to the program should: Beginning September 1, 2021, renters and landlords in the City of Los Angeles will be able to apply for rental assistance through the State’s ERAP program, which can be reached at (833) 430-2122 or through the HousingIsKey.com website.
The list of Frequently Asked Questions contains further information. If you have any further questions, please contact us at hcidla.eras@lacity.org or call the City ERAP Call Center at (833) 373-0587.

Information on the program as well as answers to frequently asked questions Background

Residential tenants who have been unable to pay their rent due to the COVID-19 outbreak will be eligible for aid under the 2021 COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which was created in partnership with the state of California and the federal government. The Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) is in charge of overseeing the implementation of the ERAP.

Information on the program, as well as the prerequisites for participation.
Families that are obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling and meet the following criteria are eligible for assistance:

Residents of the city of Los Angeles are eligible regardless of their immigration status. Visit the website neighborhoodinfo.lacity.org to verify that you are a resident of the City of Los Angeles.
One or more members of the household have qualified for unemployment benefits or have experienced a decrease in household income, significant costs, or other financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, either directly or indirectly; and The household income is at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI)