For Immediate Release
Contact: Elana Eden, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, (323) 801-7996, eeden@lafla.org
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — NOVEMBER 6, 2025 — The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and the Law Office of Autumn Elliott have filed a complaint alleging that the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) wrongfully terminated Section 8 vouchers for two individuals without fair warning—representing a pattern of due process violations that put families at risk of eviction and homelessness.
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program helps low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities secure safe and affordable housing by providing a monthly rental subsidy. Nearly 53,000 Los Angeles residents receive Section 8 vouchers from HACLA. Before HACLA terminates a voucher, they must provide fair notice and the option for a hearing to protect tenants from unfairly losing their housing assistance.
Plaintiff Gwenita Simpson was instructed by HACLA to submit certain documents to avoid potential termination of her voucher. After submitting, Ms. Simpson continued to receive threats of termination, so she requested a hearing. Instead, HACLA terminated her voucher.
“Since they took my voucher, I’ve had to go into debt to pay my rent and bills,” said Ms. Simpson. “I did everything I was supposed to do, and no one would listen to me. No one should be treated like that.”
Plaintiff Latrice Cannon was added to the case in a first amended complaint filed last week. A participant in the Section 8 program for over 20 years, she, too, submitted her documents promptly in response to a request from HACLA. Shortly afterward—and without proper notice—HACLA terminated her voucher. As a result, Ms. Cannon received an eviction notice demanding the rent that had previously been covered by her voucher.
“I was panicking about losing my home. I did all I could to work with them, but it was like they didn’t care at all,” said Ms. Cannon. “I thought: If they took my voucher so freely and haphazardly, who else are they doing this to?”
In both cases, HACLA assured voucher holders that once they submitted requested documentation, they would be in good standing with the Section 8 program—then proceeded to terminate their subsidies regardless. Both plaintiffs continue to face severe hardship due to HACLA’s actions, including the loss of critical housing subsidies, financial instability, and emotional anguish.
“HACLA’s unlawful practices violate the most basic principles of due process, which are fundamental to democracy,” said LAFLA attorney Heeyoung Linda Park. “We are asking the court to ensure that all Section 8 participants receive fair treatment, lawful notice, and meaningful hearings before their housing benefits are taken away.”
“There is no excuse for violating the due process rights enshrined in the Constitution, especially when the consequence is putting people at risk of homelessness,” said attorney Autumn Elliott. “These protections are not optional—they are essential to ensure fairness and accountability in public housing programs.”
The complaint seeks the reinstatement of both vouchers and reimbursement for the lost rental subsidies; a declaration that HACLA’s actions were unconstitutional; and an injunction stopping HACLA from repeating similar violations against other tenants. Read it here.
Tenants with Section 8 vouchers who believe HACLA violated their due process rights can apply for legal assistance from LAFLA at www.lafla.org.
###
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is a nonprofit law firm that seeks to achieve equal justice for people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles. LAFLA changes lives through direct representation, systems change, and community empowerment. It has five offices in Los Angeles County, along with four Self-Help Legal Access Centers at area courthouses, and three domestic violence clinics to aid survivors.
Law Office of Autumn Elliott engages in high-impact litigation regarding disability rights and housing justice. Ms. Elliott has decades of experience protecting the rights of people with disabilities in subsidized housing programs.