Rent relief: LA City Council approves $100M to help tenants, landlords amid pandemic

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a $100 million renters relief program.

The program's goal is to help renters struggling with the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Once approved, funds would be paid directly to their landlords.

The city estimates the program could help 50,000 households through two months of assistance, with up to $2,000 being awarded per home.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday to spend up to $30 million in funding earmarked for affordable housing to instead go for rent relief.

The motion, co-authored by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Mark Ridley-Thomas, is aimed at preventing a huge uptick in homelessness as a result of COVID-19. They have asked their colleagues to relax a rule set by the board in 2015 that requires at least 75% of $100 million set aside for the Affordable Housing Programs Budget Unit be spent on new housing or renovations.

A moratorium on evictions is currently in force statewide, but will expire 90 days after Gov. Gavin Newsom declares the end of the COVID-19 emergency, unless earlier repealed by the state's Judicial Council. The council had planned to vote on lifting the order last week, but suspended the vote, with Chief Justice Tina Cantil-Sakauye citing the need to give state legislators time to put relevant policies in place.

The Board of Supervisors has extended a countywide eviction moratorium to at least June 30, and will reconsider the matter every 30 days thereafter.

City News Service contributed to this report.