Board asks county counsel to study eviction moratorium options amid ICE raids and housing losses

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed County Counsel to analyze options for an eviction moratorium and other protections for renters affected by immigration enforcement and disaster‑related housing losses. Supervisor Lindsay Horvath asked the department to provide a written report and a follow‑up presentation; the board later revised the requested timing for verbal and written reports during the consent vote. The motion grew out of public pressure: more than 100 callers and in‑person speakers from tenants’ groups, immigrant advocates and community organizations urged the board to adopt an immediate countywide eviction moratorium to prevent evictions while rent relief systems are stood up. David Albright and other speakers from the Los Angeles Tenants Union told the board that, in the weeks since increased immigration enforcement began, tenants were afraid to leave home for work and many had lost income. Several speakers said rent relief alone would be too slow and urged a moratorium while DCBA launches assistance. County staff and several supervisors emphasized legal and operational complexities for a moratorium. During discussion, supervisors expressed concern about the reach and legal limits of county authority and potential downstream impacts for small landlords. Some landlord representatives urged rental assistance paid directly to housing providers and documentation protections to prevent fraud. The board approved a revised schedule for County Counsel’s written and verbal analyses and included the item as part of the day's consent package; County Counsel will deliver a report back as directed in the motion amendment. No immediate moratorium was enacted; the board instead approved the emergency rent relief program and asked counsel to explore moratorium options.