The Los Angeles City Council took steps to protect tenants impacted by recent fires, advancing a motion to bar landlords from evicting tenants for a year due to economic hardship caused by the fires. While a citywide rent freeze proposal was rejected, the council committee approved eviction protections for those economically affected by the blazes.
A key Los Angeles City Council committee on Wednesday rejected an effort to freeze rents citywide, but advanced a series of eviction protections for people economically affected by recent fires. In a 3-1 vote, the Housing and Homelessness Committee approved a motion that would bar landlords from evicting tenants for a variety of reasons, including for nonpayment of rent or if an owner wanted to move into a unit.
Such evictions would be prohibited only for tenants who were economically harmed by the fires, and the prohibition would last one year. The motion heads to the full City Council, where it's unclear it has the votes to pass. A previous version of the proposal, which included a citywide rent freeze in addition to the eviction protections, was heard last week at council, but was sent back the committee amid fears among some council members that both the rent freeze and eviction protections were too broad. Since the fires broke out Jan. 7, there have been widespread reports of price gouging, but it’s unclear just how much rental prices as a whole have risen across the region. Housing and disaster recovery experts have said they expect rent to increase to some extent, because thousands of homes were destroyed in an already tight market. Most homes lost appear to be single-family houses, and because of that some experts said they expect rent to rise most in larger units adjacent to burn areas, with upward pressure on costs diminishing as units become smaller and farther away from the disaster zone. The council has taken some steps to protect tenants. On Tuesday, it gave temporary approval to a proposal that would ban landlords from evicting tenants for allowing people or pets displaced by last month’s fires to live with them. On Wednesday, Housing and Homelessness Committee members rejected the rent freeze despite pleas from tenants and their advocates at the meeting. Committee members instead advanced the eviction protections. Voting in favor of that proposal were Councilmembers Adrin Nazarian, Ysabel Jurado and Nithya Raman, the committee chair. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield voted no and expressed concern the eviction protections were too sweeping, a sentiment landlords and their representatives shared at the meeting. Instead, Blumenfield said he'd like the council to explore giving tenants who are economically affected by the fires a grace period to pay rent
HOUSING RENT CONTROL EVICTION DISASTER RELIEF CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
LA City Council Delays Proposal to Protect Tenants from Evictions and Rent Hikes Following Devastating WildfiresThe Los Angeles City Council approved several emergency measures to address the aftermath of recent wildfires, but a proposal aimed at protecting tenants from evictions and rent increases was delayed. The proposal faces an uncertain future as it is now being reviewed by the Housing and Homeless Committee.
Read more »
L.A. City Council Proposes One-Year Rent Freeze to Protect Fire Survivors from EvictionsIn the wake of devastating wildfires, the Los Angeles City Council is poised to implement a comprehensive package of tenant protections to prevent evictions and mitigate the impact on displaced residents. The proposal includes a one-year freeze on rent increases and a ban on certain types of evictions, including those related to non-payment of rent, no-fault evictions, and evictions based on having additional tenants or pets.
Read more »
LA City Council to Consider Rent Freeze and Eviction Protections for Fire Displaced ResidentsThe Los Angeles City Council will vote on a package of tenant protections, including a possible one-year freeze on rent increases, to prevent evictions of residents displaced by recent wildfires. The proposal aims to prohibit various types of evictions and offer support to fire survivors by ensuring affordable housing during recovery.
Read more »
Los Angeles City Council Considers Rent Freeze to Protect Fire Displaced ResidentsThe Los Angeles City Council is set to vote on a proposal that would implement a one-year freeze on rent increases to safeguard residents displaced by the recent wildfires. The motion, spearheaded by Councilmembers Hernandez, Soto-Martinez, and Nazarian, aims to prevent evictions and financial hardship for those affected by the blazes.
Read more »
Chicago City Council Rejects Proposal to Allow Police Cooperation with ICEThe Chicago City Council voted overwhelmingly to reject a proposal that would have allowed city police to assist federal immigration enforcement efforts. The vote maintains the city's sanctuary status, blocking police from enforcing federal immigration laws and cooperating with ICE agents.
Read more »
Jacksonville city council secretary put on leave after controversy over council members' gifts ‘intercepted’ by stafferThe Jacksonville city council secretary is on paid administrative leave following complaints about the work environment and issues surrounding the opening of council members' mail. The controversy began when city staffer Yvonne Mitchell, chief of administrative services, opened mail intended for council members, including holiday gifts. Mitchell said she was directed by Council Secretary Margaret Sidman to open the mail to send information on the contents to the ethics commission. However, council members stated there are protocols for handling gifts and that they are clearly outlined by the ethics office.
Read more »