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EVICTIONS - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on a proposal that could significantly expand eviction protections for renters across Los Angeles County by tripling the amount of unpaid rent required before a tenant can be evicted.
The motion, introduced by Lindsay Horvath, would raise the threshold for evictable rent debt from one month to three months of fair market rent, as determined by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If approved, tenants countywide could not be evicted for rent debt totaling less than three months.
Tenant and immigrant advocacy groups say the proposal is urgently needed as Los Angeles continues to experience heightened federal immigration enforcement. The Los Angeles Tenants Union and the EVICT ICE NOT US Coalition plan to mobilize at Tuesday’s Board meeting in support of the motion.
Countywide vs. Patchwork Protections
Last week, the Board voted to raise the eviction threshold to two months of fair market rent—but only in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Tenant advocates argue that limited action fails to address the reality on the ground.
According to data from Rent Brigade, 93 percent of immigration raids in Los Angeles County since August have occurred in incorporated cities, not unincorporated areas. Yet the county’s existing eviction protections do not extend to the approximately 2.3 million renters living in those cities.
The Board declared a countywide state of emergency related to immigration enforcement in October, a move that—according to tenant groups—gives supervisors the authority to enact emergency eviction protections across all 88 cities in the county.
While the county approved $30 million in rental relief using its emergency powers last year, advocates note that no funds have been distributed in the five months since the program opened.
Rent Relief Without Eviction Protections
Tenant organizations also argue that rental assistance alone is insufficient without stronger eviction safeguards. One study cited by advocates found that 86 percent of legal aid attorneys reported seeing landlords refuse rent relief, opting instead to evict tenants from rent-stabilized units so rents could be reset at higher market rates.
“Raising the eviction debt threshold for the entire county is within the supervisors’ legal authority,” said a member of the Los Angeles Tenants Union. “They have a duty to use that power to protect all tenants in Los Angeles County. Piecemeal protections leave too many people exposed.”
A National Context
Demands for eviction protections tied to immigration enforcement are growing beyond Los Angeles. In recent weeks, city councils in St. Paul and Minneapolis voted unanimously to urge Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to enact a statewide eviction moratorium, following pressure from tenant and immigrant organizations.
Locally, advocates say Los Angeles County must act decisively while federal immigration enforcement continues across the region.
“Using emergency powers to protect tenants is not radical,” said coalition members. “It is exactly what those powers exist for.”
Meeting Details
What: LA County Board of Supervisors Vote on Countywide Emergency Eviction Protections
When: Tuesday, February 10, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
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