L.A. City Council Panel Rejects Rent Freeze, Advances Eviction Protections
Committee Votes 3-1 to Approve Eviction Protections for Fire-Affected Tenants
In a 3-1 vote, the Housing and Homelessness Committee approved a motion that would bar landlords from evicting tenants for a variety of reasons, including for nonpayment of rent or if an owner wanted to move into a unit. Such evictions would be prohibited only for tenants who were economically harmed by the fires, and the prohibition would last one year.
Eviction Protections to Protect Fire-Affected Tenants
The motion heads to the full City Council, where it’s unclear it has the votes to pass. The eviction protections would apply to tenants who were economically harmed by the fires, and would prohibit landlords from evicting them for a year.
Previous Version of Proposal Included Rent Freeze
A previous version of the proposal, which included a citywide rent freeze in addition to the eviction protections, was heard last week at council, but was sent back to the committee amid fears among some council members that both the rent freeze and eviction protections were too broad.
Rental Prices Expected to Rise
Since the fires broke out Jan. 7, there have been widespread reports of price gouging, but it’s unclear just how much rental prices as a whole have risen across the region. Housing and disaster recovery experts have said they expect rent to increase to some extent, because thousands of homes were destroyed in an already tight market.
Eviction Protections to Apply to Larger Units Adjacent to Burn Areas
Most homes lost appear to be single-family houses, and because of that some experts said they expect rent to rise most in larger units adjacent to burn areas, with upward pressure on costs diminishing as units become smaller and farther away from the disaster zone.
Council Has Taken Steps to Protect Tenants
The council has taken some steps to protect tenants. On Tuesday, it gave temporary approval to a proposal that would ban landlords from evicting tenants for allowing people or pets displaced by last month’s fires to live with them.
Committee Rejects Rent Freeze
On Wednesday, Housing and Homelessness Committee members rejected the rent freeze despite pleas from tenants and their advocates at the meeting. Committee members instead advanced the eviction protections.
Voting Members
Voting in favor of that proposal were Councilmembers Adrin Nazarian, Ysabel Jurado and Nithya Raman, the committee chair. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield voted no and expressed concern the eviction protections were too sweeping, a sentiment landlords and their representatives shared at the meeting.
Alternative Solution Proposed
Instead, Blumenfield said he’d like the council to explore giving tenants who are economically affected by the fires a grace period to pay rent.
Conclusion
The L.A. City Council panel has rejected a rent freeze, but advanced eviction protections for fire-affected tenants. The eviction protections will prohibit landlords from evicting tenants for a year if they were economically harmed by the fires. The proposal will now head to the full City Council, where it’s unclear it has the votes to pass.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the eviction protections?
A: The eviction protections aim to protect fire-affected tenants from being evicted due to circumstances beyond their control.
Q: Who will be eligible for the eviction protections?
A: The eviction protections will apply to tenants who were economically harmed by the fires.
Q: How long will the eviction protections last?
A: The eviction protections will last for one year.
Q: What is the current status of the proposal?
A: The proposal has been approved by the Housing and Homelessness Committee and will now head to the full City Council for consideration.
