Thanks to advocacy work by the California Apartment Association, an eviction-protection measure approved by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday applies only to tenants who are awaiting approved rental assistance dollars.

This refined focus is a significant departure from the original proposal, which aimed to halt all evictions for tenants with pending rental assistance applications, impacting over 31,000 claims.

The California Apartment Association raised concerns about the original proposal’s broad scope, highlighting the slow pace of fund disbursement by the Housing Department. Notably, since the closure of the application window in October 2023, only a quarter of the available funds have been allocated, posing a challenge under the initial, more expansive framework.

Councilwoman Traci Park spearheaded the effort to amend the proposal, aligning with CAA’s recommendations. The association, while still concerned about the expedited process and the new timelines involved, appreciates Councilwoman Park’s diligence in refining the proposal to provide more targeted eviction protection. The revised law received unanimous council support.

For those interested in reading the full approved ordinance, it can be found here.