The State rental assistance program opened on March 15, 2021 and is open to:
- Any L.A. County tenant not living in the City of Los Angeles, Long Beach or Santa Clarita. (If you live in these cities see below as applications will open soon.)
- Households with income below 80% of Los Angeles County's median income. Priority will be given to those with income of 50% or below the county's median.
- All individuals no matter your citizenship or immigration status.
Eligibility is based on a household's monthly income at time of application or income for the 2020 calendar year, and applications will be prioritized based on households with the highest need.
How will the State Rental Assistance program work?
Tenants or landlords may apply to the program, but landlords must opt-in to the program if tenants apply. When a tenant applies, the landlord will be contacted to verify they want to participate. For landlords that choose to participate:
- They will be provided direct payments of 80% of the total rent due as long as they agree to forgive the remaining 20%.
- The State will pay those landlords up to a year of unpaid, past due rent and up to 3 months of future rent.
If a landlord chooses not to participate, qualified tenants may still apply to the program for a 25% payment of all the rent that you owe. This will give tenants protection from eviction through June 2021 under SB 91. Learn more about SB 91 here.
For more detailed information about the program or for help filling out the rental assistance application, visit HousingisKey.com or call 833-422-4255.
Resources
General Information Flyer
Tenant Checklist
You can also watch the video below, which walks through the application process.
0:00 Video Begins
0:30 Rental assistance application requirements
2:50 How to access the portal and apply*
3:30 Program breakdown by geography
4:15 Other tenant protections
4:54 How to access the application on the Housing is Key website
5:40 Filling out the Application - Part A - Tenant Eligibility Checklist
7:50 Part B - Applicant information
9:10 Part C - Household Members
10:00 Part D - Income Verification
13:12 Part E - COVID-19 Impact
14:17 Part F - Rental Assistance Request
16:27 Part G - Water and Gas Utility Assistance
17:23 Part H - Trash and Sewer Assistance
17:54 Part I - Electric and other Utility Assistance
18:54 Part J - Prior Assistance Received
20:03 Part K - Other Required Paperwork
21:07 Frequently Asked Questions
24:52 Navigating the Website
25:30 Questions and Answers
What if I live in the City of Los Angeles or Long Beach?
If you live in the city of Los Angeles or Long Beach you must apply to their rental assistance program, rather than the state’s.
Information about the Los Angeles rental assistance program can be found here. The program opens March 30 and has $259 million available for relief. Rental assistance will be provided by a lottery system until funds run out.
Information about Long Beach’s program can be found here. Stay tuned for more information about when the program will officially open.
