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Speakers urge city to execute Stay Housed LA contract before June 30, warn tenant services at risk
Summary
Tenants, legal-service providers and unions urged the Los Angeles City Council to direct the Housing Department to execute the Stay Housed LA contract that the council approved April 25, saying the contract—signed by the mayor but not yet executed—will lapse on June 30 and could disrupt eviction defense, rental assistance and jobs.
Community advocates, legal-service providers and labor representatives used the council's public-comment period to press the Los Angeles City Council to direct the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) to execute the Stay Housed LA contract the council approved on April 25 and the mayor signed May 1.
Nicholas Gardner of United Teachers Los Angeles opened the line of speakers, calling the contract "vital services to tenants across the city" that "keep people in their homes." Veronica Robles, a tenant advocate, and multiple legal-service providers said the contract's delay threatens eviction defense, rental assistance and know-your-rights education for renters.
Advocates said the contract is time-sensitive: they said the current contracts and funding run out June 30 and that organizations have already hired staff and begun service plans assuming the new five-year agreement would be executed. Sylvia Argueta, identified in public comment as executive director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), said the network of programs relies on the approved contract and warned that losing the funding now would “devastate not only the organizations, but the communities we serve.”
Speakers gave specific data about program scale. Public testimony said Stay Housed LA has helped more than 4,200 tenants and distributed about $9.5 million in rental aid; LAFLA representatives also said their work had produced roughly $41 million in economic benefits to tenants and the city and that the organizations had hired roughly 60 legal staff and 15 community-based staff in anticipation of the agreement.
Multiple callers said the city attorney's office is responsible only for approving contracts "as to form," and urged council to use existing emergency authorities and Measure ULA funding to ensure the contract is executed without further delay. Barbara Schultz, director of housing justice for LAFLA and Stay Housed LA, told the council that if the city cannot get the city attorney's sign-off, the body could consider emergency provisions that would keep services active.
Council members took the public comments under advisement during the meeting; the transcript does not record a formal vote or immediate directive on execution of the Stay Housed LA contract during this session.
Why it matters: Stay Housed LA funds a network of tenant legal aid, rental assistance and community outreach that speakers said is a frontline defense against evictions and rising homelessness. Providers warned that a lapse in execution could interrupt assistance to thousands of tenants and jeopardize multiple nonprofit jobs.
What the transcript shows next: Councilmembers and staff acknowledged the public comments and continued with the agenda; no final execution order for the contract appears in the meeting record.
