Morning Brief: Money On The Table, Flood Warnings, And Cemetery Lane

Good morning, L.A. It’s Oct. 26.

For people who have been financially impacted by COVID-19, the threat of eviction was temporarily on hold thanks to local, state and national moratoriums. Now, as those start to lift, officials are hoping that folks who need help will apply for rental assistance.

But recent census data shows that’s not happening — and L.A. is no exception. Out of more than 550,000 L.A.-area households that are behind on rent, about 295,000 haven’t applied for assistance.

There are myriad reasons for that, but some of the most pressing include language barriers, the digital divide and reluctance to fill out government forms among some immigrants in the U.S. illegally, reports my colleague David Wagner.

Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), who represents neighborhoods with large immigrant populations such as Boyle Heights, says that some of the hesitation is “merited.”

“The former president really spent a lot of time attacking immigrants, making threat of ICE and making threat of the public charge,” Santiago said. “We're now having to unravel that.”

For those who lack access to computers or internet, acquiring rental relief means much more administrative work than just filling out forms. 

“In some cases, we’re even having to help people set up emails,” said Joe Delgado, director of L.A.’s Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, “which kind of tells you where some of these folks are at.”

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• When it rains heavily in SoCal, mudslides become a real danger. 
• Despite a flood warning, we’re probably not getting enough rain in and around L.A. to end the fire season. 
• The City of Carson has declared a local emergency in an effort to get more resources to stop a noxious scent that’s reportedly making residents feel ill.
• The investigation into the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust reveals the production was running behind schedule, and the gun that killed the cinematographer might have been left unattended.
• L.A. has lost a community leader with the passing of West Coast rap pioneer and Skid Row activist Jeff Page, better known as General Jeff.

Before You Go ... This Week's Outdoor Pick: Cemetery Lane

Halloween jack o'lanterns.

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Peter Kvetny/Unsplash

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Starting Wednesday, Montecito Heights’ Heritage Square — an outdoor museum of eight homes built during the Victorian Era — will host Cemetery Lane. It’s a Halloween experience that offers 13 trick-or-treating stops along the private, gated row of manors.

Or, you could: Head to a home haunt (with scary and not-so-scary adventure options). Watch acrobats and performers at a cirque. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Madonna’s Truth or Dare. Nosh on plant-based burgers, CDMX-style tacos and Halloween milkshakes. And more.