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San Gabriel Valley Pilots New Program To Encourage Landlords To Rent To Unhoused People
Landlords who rent to the unhoused in San Gabriel Valley can qualify for incentives through a new program.
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Chava Sanchez/LAist
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San Gabriel Valley landlords who rent to the unhoused can qualify for incentives through a program with the SGV Council of Governments and Union Station Homeless Services.
Landlords can be reimbursed for application fees, leasing bonuses, deposits and even for lost revenue due to unpaid rent, eviction and abandonment.
It's meant to encourage landlords to accept tenants who pay rent using vouchers from the county and local housing authorities, according to Keisha Hosea, housing consultant with Union Station, who's overseeing the incentive program.
"Many times, people with vouchers are not selected for various reasons. So, perhaps it is based on some discrimination from using the voucher, perhaps not," Hosea said.
Hosea told KPCC that with the cost of housing outpacing incomes in the SGV, the unhoused need help from landlords in addition to cities and non-profits.
"Many of them are not aware of how vouchers work," she said, "or they've heard less than positive things and stories from people about collecting their rent or issues that don't necessarily have to be the case."
The program ends in May of 2022. Interested renters and landlords can visit the project website or contact the project manager Caitlin Sims at csims@sgvcog.org for more information.
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