'Housing Is Key' Assistance Site Launched For Los Angeles Renters, Landlords
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The city of Los Angeles has launched a new site to make getting rental assistance easier for both tenants and landlords.
The Housing is Key rental assistance portal is now accessible at HousingIsKey.com or by calling 833-687-0967. Angelenos who have already applied for the city's program will be contacted with instructions for their next steps.
The new site includes "Apply Now" portals in several languages, including Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog. The relief is available for tenants who have been impacted by COVID-19 and have been unable to pay their rent, with funds paid out to the landlord to whom the rent is owed. Assistance is also available for unpaid utilities, and the program is open to all renters regardless of immigration status.
The city of Los Angeles has so far approved about 17,000 households for rental assistance, and landlords are expected to receive a total of about $235 million in funds to pay off tenants' back rent. About 4,000 landlords have already received these funds.
The state has committed $5.2 billion in rental relief funds for California residents. According to the Housing + Community Investment Department, the projected need for rental assistance in Los Angeles is about $950 million.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)