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Need rent help? Boyle Heights tenants could get up to $3,000 in assistance
A woman walks down 1st Street in Boyle Heights.
(
Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
Boyle Heights tenants who owe back rent may now qualify for rental assistance payments of up to $3,000, thanks to funds from a city pilot program.
What to know
The one-time payments are offered through L.A. REPAIR Participatory Budgeting, a program from the city’s Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department. The latest round of funds is being facilitated by Proyecto Pastoral, a Boyle Heights-based nonprofit focused on community building and social justice.
“We want to make sure that people stay housed,” said Raquel Roman, Proyecto Pastoral’s executive director. “We want to make sure we can help when people need rent assistance. That’s a very vulnerable time for families and individuals, so we want to be able to support them during that difficult time.”
Who qualifies and what’s required?
To qualify, tenants must provide proof of residency in Boyle Heights, a copy of their rental agreement and documentation of overdue rent. There are no income limits for applicants. The funds are expected to serve around 77 households.
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LAHSA also has failed multiple external audits in recent years, which have found the agency has neglected to properly track spending meant to shelter and house people. -
The city reported a 3.7% increase in Long Beach’s homeless population in spite of its investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in shelter beds and programs. -
Recent rulings have struck down requirements in L.A. and Pasadena for landlords to pay thousands of dollars to tenants who couldn’t afford large rent hikes.
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ELACC also distributing more funds this summer
The East L.A. Community Corporation (ELACC) also received L.A. REPAIR funds to support Boyle Heights residents. The nonprofit’s CEO and president, Monica Mejia, said her group split its disbursement into two rounds and had already disbursed $150,000 to people in need.
“If you have a short-term emergency and your landlord is threatening to evict you, this is the kind of rental assistance that can help you overcome that vulnerability and help you stay in your home. We’re hoping it provides housing stability,” said Mejia.
Mejia said the next wave of Boyle Heights rental assistance applications through ELACC will open this summer.
How to apply for help
To determine eligibility and schedule an appointment with Proyecto Pastoral, call (323) 881-0018 or visit their office on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays at 135 N. Mission Road.
More about L.A. REPAIR
L.A. REPAIR is run by L.A. Civil Rights in partnership with the nonprofit Participatory Budgeting Project, which works with communities across the U.S. and Canada to decide together on how to spend public money. In its first round of funding, the city allocated nearly $8.5 million through a participatory process – communities voted to choose the programs to be funded.
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Boyle Heights was one of nine “repair zones” identified by L.A. Civil Rights for the pilot – neighborhoods with a high percentage of people of color who have been historically affected by racist policies from the city.
Boyle Heights Beat Student Journalism Manager Carmen Gonzalez contributed to this story.
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