Angelenos urge City Council to extend StayHoused LA contract as ICE activity drives demand

Dozens of tenants, community-based organizations and legal-service providers pressed the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday to extend and fully fund the StayHoused LA contract to avoid a service lapse that speakers said would begin July 1.

The plea came during the council’s public-comment period, where renters described lost work, evictions and fear tied to recent immigration enforcement operations and asked the council to ensure continuity for eviction defense, rental assistance and “know your rights” outreach.

StayHoused LA is the city’s collaboration of legal services providers and community-based organizations that provide eviction defense, rental assistance navigation and tenant education. Speakers said the program is implementing the city’s newly passed right-to-counsel ordinance and that Measure ULA was adopted by voters to fund the effort.

“My name is Matthew Carson. I am asking that you support and have them sign the contract for StayHoused LA. I have benefited from it and am still benefiting from it at this present time. I'm facing eviction, and I do not want to become part of the unhoused community,” said Matthew Carson during general public comment.

Representatives of multiple provider organizations described operational consequences if the contract is not extended. “Without an extension, nonprofit legal aid providers and community organizations will be defunded on July 1, cutting off services for low-income, undocumented, and at-risk tenants,” said Jessica (Liberty Hill Foundation). Elena Popp, executive director of Eviction Defense Network, said retained cases and staff hiring already occurred based on the council’s April approval and that organizations need at least a one-year extension to ethically open and conclude cases.

“I am here to ask you to hold your ground. Earlier, you passed a five-year extension for StayHoused. At a minimum, this program should be extended for a year and fully funded,” said Pamela Agustin, identifying herself as coalition director of Eastside organizations. Speakers representing Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Public Counsel and numerous community-based groups made similar requests.

Councilmember Nithya Raman, chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, acknowledged the urgency and told speakers there is “an item on Friday's agenda that addresses the ongoing funding for this tranche of work,” and said the office would “do everything in my power to ensure that there's no break in services.”

Several speakers described immediate impacts on tenants and students tied to enforcement actions they said were occurring in neighborhoods. Gregory Perez of Alliance Burton Tech High School told the council that students and families were fearful and that some students had dropped out or had family members unable to attend graduation because of safety concerns.

Providers urged that any extension include funding for both legal-service providers and community-based organizations that perform outreach, navigation and language access. “This partnership between the City, the legal services organizations, and the CBOs is what makes StayHoused LA innovative and effective,” said Nisha Bias (Public Counsel) during public comment.

Councilmembers did not vote on a StayHoused LA contract during Tuesday’s meeting. Multiple speakers said there are administrative delays and legal reviews affecting the contract; several requested the council execute the contract on the council’s authority rather than delay by reissuing a procurement. Councilmember Raman and other members indicated a funding item will be considered on Friday, and urged speakers to contact council offices with questions.

If the Friday item proceeds as described by the chair, it may determine whether the program continues without interruption into the next fiscal year. Speakers urged the council to approve at least a one-year extension and to fully fund both legal services and community-based organization partners so already-open cases and rental assistance approvals can be completed.

The council’s clerk closed public comment after more than an hour of testimony and the council proceeded to vote on unrelated agenda items.

Ending: Speakers at the meeting repeatedly asked the council to avoid a July 1 funding gap; council staff and the housing committee chair said a funding item would be taken up Friday, but no formal vote on the StayHoused LA contract occurred at Tuesday’s meeting.