By Stephen Witt
Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul – to make rent.
Los Angeles County Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Lindsey P. Horvath clashed this week over Horvath’s motion to launch an Emergency Rent Relief Program (ERRP) that would provide nearly $20 million in assistance to Angelenos recovering from the January 2025 wildfires and to immigrant families destabilized by federal immigration enforcement.
While both lawmakers staunchly support rent relief, the rub in the motion is that roughly $10 million of the funds would come from money earmarked for Care First Community Investment (CFCI) funding that voters overwhelmingly supported being allocated with the passage of Measure J towards community-led justice reforms.
Measure J created a county charter amendment to invest at least 10% of locally generated, unrestricted revenue into communities and alternatives to incarceration to address racial injustice. Ironically, although voters passed Measure J, the County mistakenly never added the measure to its charter, which is similar to the county constitution.
“I believe we can establish a rent relief program without pitting the compounding needs of our communities against each other. It is possible to keep Care First Community Investment (CFCI) funding that voters overwhelmingly supported being allocated with the passage of Measure J towards community-led justice reforms and to identify the appropriate source of sustainable long-term funding for rent relief – which I have always supported,” said Mitchell, adding she co-authored in 2023 to provide rent relief that distributed over $81 million in funding.
“I agree with the ongoing need and urgency for rent relief – an issue that affects far too many communities across the County. The path we take to achieve sustainable rent relief matters. Unfortunately, the motion presented today diverted funds in a way that bypasses the necessary input from the CFCI advisory committee, undermining the participatory process that Measure J was designed to uphold,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said this is not the time to bulldoze through without strategic and intentional discourse, collaboration, and consideration of current budget decisions.
“I voted in support of the amendment to bring this motion back to the Board in two-weeks to allow for the CFCI Advisory Committee to have the opportunity to weigh-in in a meaningful way along with the public via our cluster process.
The other supervisors agreed with Mitchell, with the exception of Horvath, who also received support for her motion from Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA); Flor Melendrez, CLEAN Carwash Worker Center; Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Pilipino Workers Center; Pomona Economic Opportunity Center; the TransLatin@ Coalition; Immigrants are LA (IRLA); Pueblo y Salud; wildfire survivors; and others.
“Too many families are standing on the brink of eviction, and today’s vote means they are left without the relief they urgently need. Being housed is a right, not a privilege, and this nearly $20 million Emergency Rent Relief Program was designed to keep wildfire survivors and immigrant households safe and stable,” said Horvath.
“This delay the week rent is due puts people at risk. I will not stop fighting for the families who are carrying the heaviest burdens. Los Angeles County must find a way to act with urgency, compassion, and commitment to keep our people housed.”
The proposed program would have provided rent or mortgage relief for wildfire survivors who lost homes, jobs, or income; immigrant families who have faced sudden loss of wages due to federal raids; low-income tenants at risk of eviction; and small landlords repairing fire-damaged affordable housing to preserve affordability.
The item was referred to the County’s Operations Cluster meeting, which is scheduled for September 10. It will be returned to the Board on September 16.
Comments 2
Good story