Rental assistance is available for City of Los Angeles tenants through the Los Angeles Housing Department. The application is open September 19 – October 2. English 

Los inquilinos de la Ciudad de Los Ángeles pueden acceder a la asistencia para alquileres mediante el Departamento de Vivienda de Los Ángeles. Puede enviar su solicitud entre el 19 de septiembre y el 2 de octubre. Español 

Լոս Անջելես քաղաքի վարձակալների համար հասանելի է Լոս Անջելեսի բնակարանային վարչության կողմից տրամադրվող վարձակալության աջակցություն։ Դիմելու գործընթացը բաց է սեպտեմբերի 19 – հոկտեմբերի 2-ը։ հայերեն 

로스앤젤레스 주택사업부(LAHD)는 로스앤젤레스시 세입자에게 임대료 지원을 제공합니다. 신청 기간은 9월 19일~10월 2일까지입니다. 한국어

洛杉矶租户可向洛杉矶住房部申领租金补助。 9月19日至10月2日开放申请。简体中文 

洛杉磯市租戶可透過洛杉磯房屋局獲得租賃補助。 申請日期:9 月 19 日至 10 月 2 日。繁體中文

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Legal Aid is ‘Uplifting Inglewood’

Kim, a single mother of a special needs son, was shocked when her new Inglewood landlord recently demanded a 79 percent increase in her monthly rent. Despite working several jobs, Kim struggled to make ends meet, especially with expenses related to her son’s medical needs.

Nearly half of Kim’s income helps her pay the rent. She also sets aside an additional 25 percent of her income to cover uninsured medical expenses due to her son’s disability. She worried about the unexpected rent hike. Kim wanted to move, but she needed more time to find an affordable option.

As the rent increase loomed on the horizon, Kim turned to staff attorney Natalie Minev at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

Several months prior to Kim’s surprise rent increase, a group of concerned Inglewood residents banded together under the auspices of the “Uplift Inglewood Coalition.” As the group needed help formalizing its structure and providing legal education to tenants in the city, the Coalition approached LAFLA for assistance. LAFLA attorney Jonathan Jager helped the Coalition write its governing documents, and Natalie led a series of educational “know-your-rights” workshops in Inglewood.  When Kim shared her recent rent increase with Uplift Inglewood, the group referred her to Natalie for legal help.

The Uplift Inglewood Coalition was created in response to rising living and housing costs in the City of Inglewood in light of ongoing construction of multiple sports venues. Such sports franchises as the Clippers, Rams and Chargers all want stadiums in the City of Inglewood. As a result, many tenants have experienced an uptick in rent hikes and evictions as speculative investors and property owners attempt to cash in on rising property values.

Through Uplift Inglewood, concerned residents educate neighbors of their rights as tenants. The coalition also advocates for inclusive changes that would benefit all city residents and not just wealthy developers.

Once Kim turned to LAFLA for help, Natalie sent Kim’s landlord a comprehensive request for reasonable accommodations, given that Kim’s son has a disability. Natalie outlined how a significant rent increase could potentially violate her son’s rights.

After several weeks of negotiations, and pushing back on the landlord attorney’s misinformed and intrusive requests for additional medical documentation, Natalie brought the landlord to the table to engage in the interactive process required by federal and state fair housing laws. Natalie also fought the landlord attorney’s unethical attempts to contact Kim’s employers.

The property owner recently agreed not to raise Kim’s rent until 2019, giving Kim time to find a new home.