Press Releases

LOS ANGELES – Today, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) announced that $126,658,598 has been awarded to Los Angeles County and $93,620,845 has been awarded to the City of Los Angeles from the American Rescue Plan Act for emergency rental assistance. The funds, issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the White House American Rescue Plan Implementation Team, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), total $21.6 billion that were passed to prevent evictions and ensure housing security for millions of Americans affected by COVID-19.

“The American Rescue Plan has been a historic lifeline for millions of Americans from coast to coast, including small business owners, working families, and critically, renters,” said Congressman Gomez. “While I believe this economic crisis demands a more robust response, including rent cancellation, I’m proud to help deliver life-saving relief to keep Angelenos safely in their homes while we tackle this pandemic. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve fought hard to secure equitable, direct cash assistance for my constituents, and this $219 million in rent relief for city and county residents is another boost for working families who have been devastated by the last 13 months.”

Along with this relief, the Treasury issued updated guidance to expedite funds to renters and target those most severely in need of assistance. This relief must be offered directly to renters when landlords do not accept direct payments, and the guidance reduces burdensome documentation requirements and wait times to receive assistance.

Earlier this year, the City of Los Angeles accepted applications for its $235.5-million COVID-19 Emergency Renters Assistance Program, which was funded through federal legislation passed by Congress in December. The State of California is currently accepting applications for its $2.6-billlion COVID-19 Rent Relief program, which was also funded through federal pandemic response legislation.

Congressman Gomez is also an original cosponsor of the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, which would cancel rent and mortgage payments nationwide through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and establish a relief fund for landlords and mortgage holders to cover the losses of cancelled payments.

For a fact sheet on the federal emergency rental assistance program, please click here.

For a breakdown of how these funds will be allocated, please click here.