Speakers urge Los Angeles City Council to direct housing department to execute StayHoused LA contract before June 30

Dozens of tenant advocates, legal services providers and community members urged the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday to direct the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) to execute the StayHoused LA contract that the council approved on April 25.

The city-approved contract, which speakers said the mayor signed on May 1, had not been executed by LAHD by the time of the council meeting and would lapse on June 30 if not completed, several speakers said during public comment.

Why it matters: Speakers said the contract funds eviction defense, rental assistance and tenant education across the city and that a lapse would interrupt services for tenants at risk of eviction at a time of heightened need.

Public comment and concern Nicholas Gardner, of United Teachers Los Angeles, told the council, “This provides vital services to tenants across the city.” Gardner said the services help keep people housed and urged the council to direct LAHD to sign the contract. Veronica Robles, identifying herself as a tenant advocate speaking on behalf of Foster Universal, said, “The city attorney's role is not to legislate. Under the current state of emergency order on homelessness, the city attorney cannot withhold endorsement of approval of contracts like this.”

Speakers from legal service organizations described operational and client impacts if the contract is not executed. Sylvia Argueta, executive director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, said the approved contract was the lead contract for StayHoused LA and that providers had hired staff “in order to meet tenant needs.” She told the council the network had brought “over $41,000,000 in economic benefits to tenants and to the City of Los Angeles” and warned that loss of funding would “devastate not only the organizations, but the communities we serve.”

Other speakers gave examples from clients and frontline staff. Anna Martinez of Community Power Collective said StayHoused LA had already helped “over 4,200 tenants” and “provided over $9,500,000 in rental aid,” while Barbara Schultz, director of housing justice for LAFLA and StayHoused LA, said her organization currently represents “over 600 city tenants.”

Requests and council response Multiple speakers asked the council to explicitly direct LAHD to execute the contract as approved on April 25. Several repeated that the mayor had already signed the agreement. Speakers also asked that the council make use of emergency provisions the city has in place if needed to avoid a lapse.

No formal council vote to direct LAHD to execute the contract was recorded during the public comment period captured in the transcript. Council members acknowledged the comments; the meeting moved on after public comment.

Background and context Speakers repeatedly referenced the April 25 council approval and a mayoral signature in early May. They framed StayHoused LA as a network of legal services providers and community organizations that provides eviction prevention, rental assistance and tenant legal representation funded in part by Measure ULA, a voter-approved local funding source several speakers invoked.

What to watch next Speakers asked the council to act quickly to prevent an interruption of services before June 30. The transcript does not record any immediate formal direction or motion by the council to LAHD during this meeting; follow-up action may appear on future agendas or in administrative communications.

Ending Advocates and providers told the council the contract’s execution is an urgent administrative step and that thousands of tenants and dozens of city jobs depend on timely implementation.