What resources are available to LA renters affected by wildfires? Some say more are needed.
Deadly Los Angeles County wildfires have displaced tenants after destroying thousands of structures over the past week.
Now, affordable housing advocates are warning that they could lead to hiked rent prices and other impacts on a market already considered one of the most expensive in the nation.
While there are a few tenants protections are already in place, and federal grants and loans available to renters and homeowners alike, some are pushing for even more safeguards. As the battle continues against two devastating wildfires, calls for a freeze on evictions and rental prices across the county have emerged.
Keep LA Housed, a coalition of tenants, attorneys and affordable housing advocates, held a news conference Wednesday urging the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to immediately enact a freeze on evictions.
"I received a notice from the property owner that my rent would be increased up to $2,000 this month of January," Eugenia Lopez, a tenant who lives in South Los Angeles, said during the news conference. "Really, I felt very worried because I don't count on the type of income to pay that rental increase. Immediately, I thought abut my children and where will we go — very likely the street."
Concerns have surfaced over not just the fate of people directly displaced by the wildfires but also broader impacts, affecting those who live outside the fire areas such as Lopez.
During an LA City Council meeting Tuesday, attorney Faizah Malik told the council that low-income households whose jobs were in burn areas are now without work, while at the same time, homeowners in more affluent areas devastated by the fires are now looking for rental housing, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Asking rent prices have skyrocketed in some areas, according to LAist, which reported on a Bel Air listing that was asking $15,900 a month in September which went up to $29,500 in the days after the fires started.
Councilmembers at Tuesday's meeting directed the LA city attorney to draft an ordinance barring evictions for one year — in the event that a household has extra occupants or unauthorized pets which were "necessitated" by the fires, according to the Times.
To report illegally hiked rents and prices, call 311 or email att.pricegougingtaskforce@lacity.org.
What help is now available to renters?
Lease ends with destruction of rental home
If a rental unit is destroyed in a wildfire, the lease no longer applies and landlords must return any security deposit within three weeks, according to the Los Angeles Housing Department.
Rent caps in Palisades Fire
Although rent and eviction freezes are not in effect countywide, there are rent caps for Palisades Fire areas which are set to expire on Feb. 6 — unless more executive orders or emergency declarations extend them, the California Apartment Association reports.
Price-gouging law prohibits rent hikes over 10%
Price-gouging is illegal during a state of emergency, barring price hikes above 10% for 30 days.
"This also includes rent increases, as well as hikes in hotel and motel prices for evacuees who are seeking emergency housing," the LA Housing Department states on its website. "Rental property owners across the state should note that price-gouging protections apply wherever displacement increases demand for housing."
Criminal prosecution for price-gouging can result in a year in jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000, according to the housing agency.
Temporary housing through hotels and more
The city of LA has a full list of hotels providing shelters and supplies to wildfire survivors — complete with locations and contact information — which can be found here. There's more than 350 hotels and motels on the list.
Shelter and emergency assistance
American Red Cross shelters can be found on a searchable map here while FEMA is offering more resources and shelter assistance with shelter, which can be found here.