After hosting a presentation earlier this week on the issue of housing in Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass on Thursday, June 20, encouraged landlords to rent to individuals and families who have experienced homelessness.
Bass, alongside the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, asked more property owners to participate in the Homeless Incentive Program, which offers incentives to landlords who rent their units to homeless individuals.
The funding and housing vouchers are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and given to housing authorities such as HACLA to help disabled, homeless, low-income and senior renters in need.
A one-bedroom voucher payment, for example, could cover up to $2,400 a month.
Additional benefits and financial incentives for property owners who participate in the program include security deposit assistance and holding fees — allowing landlords to receive up to one month’s rent per vacant unit held, based on the number of bedrooms and current Fair Market Rents — move-in assistance, and damage mitigation.
“When I talk about locked arms, it’s not rhetoric. It is a very deliberate strategy of everybody coming together,” Bass said in a statement. “That’s the way Los Angeles comes together and addresses our number one crisis. We need to support small landlords so that they can continue to be a part of the solution. This is the city and other government partners coming together in a major way.”
On Tuesday, Bass’ office, HACLA and the Los Angeles County Development Authority hosted an event in which staff highlighted the incentive program.
Attendees also heard from landlords who are participating in the program and their experience so far. HACLA received 29 interest forms from property owners, which represented a total of 92 available units ready to be listed by the agency and used for housing.
“So many property owners in the greater Los Angeles area remain unaware of the great benefits and incentives available to them through participating in programs like HIP, so it’s great to see interest increasing as we continue hosting these events,” HACLA President and CEO Doug Guthrie said in a statement.
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“There are currently over 3,000 HACLA clients looking for an available rental property at this time, and landlord participation is essential to solving the homelessness issue,” Guthrie said.
Bass’ office noted that about 3,365 housing vouchers had been used earlier this year to bring unhoused Angelenos into permanent housing.
More information on HACLA’s incentive program is available at hacla.org/hip or by emailing the agency at hip@hacla.org.