Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA County Extends Pandemic Eviction Protections By One Month Amid ‘Respiratory Illness Trifecta’
Defaulting renter with facemask receives letter giving notice of eviction from home on wooden table
(
BackyardProduction/Getty Images/iStockphoto
/
iStockphoto
)
Topline:
L.A. County will extend its eviction protections for tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by one month, following a vote Tuesday by the County’s Board of Supervisors.
Why now: The County’s eviction safeguards were set to expire after Dec. 31. But supervisors voted to push the deadline back one month, aligning with the city of L.A.’s tentative plans to phase out eviction protections after Jan. 31, 2023. The decision means that tenants across L.A. County who are unable to pay rent due to the pandemic’s lasting economic impacts will no longer face immediate eviction if they can’t pay their January rent on time. However, unless the County extends the deadline again before the end of January, renters unable to pay their February rent could face eviction.
Why it matters: The County’s COVID-19 renter protections have been in place since March of 2020, and have prevented tens of thousands of households from facing eviction after losing work, income or family members due to the pandemic. The extension will offer another month of eviction protections for renters throughout L.A., including unincorporated areas and all cities within the county.
Support for LAist comes from
The backstory: Landlords have long pushed the County to rescind the eviction rules, arguing that businesses have reopened, jobs have returned and COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. But Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s motion to extend the protections said the extra time “will help reduce the number of households displaced this winter as the County faces what some are calling a respiratory illness trifecta,” including COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and seasonal flu.
What’s next: The County’s extension could stave off a wave of evictions predicted by tenant advocates. But with U.S. Census Bureau survey data from November showing that almost 11% of L.A. tenant households are behind on rent, many could still struggle to pay starting Feb. 1. The board also approved an amendment by Supervisor Hilda Solis asking for city staff to report back in 30 days on the possibility of extending the County’s eviction protections until June 30, 2023 and creating a $5 million relief program for small landlords.
Go deeper: One Month Late On Rent? In LA County, You May Soon Be Protected From Eviction
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist