City Council continues debate on wildfire rental-relief item, sets March 4 hearing

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday voted to continue consideration of Item 33, a measure involving rental protections and assistance for people affected by recent wildfires, to March 4, 2025.

Councilmember Hernandez moved to continue the item for two weeks and Council President Marquis Harris Dawson seconded the motion; the roll call resulted in 11 ayes and the item was continued.

Councilmember Hernandez framed the request as an attempt to give stakeholders more time to reach a workable compromise. “I’ve heard my colleagues. I’ve heard people, who are in opposition and for this motion, and I think that we can come to a solution,” Hernandez said during remarks introducing the continuance. In proffering the motion she cited information from labor partners indicating that “7,000 union members have been impacted by the fires” and that “over 1,000 union members have lost their homes,” material she said came from a labor community services intake form.

Council President Marquis Harris Dawson, who seconded the continuance, praised the motion and the effort to find a balanced approach. “I applaud the council member for stepping up for these particular victims of the fires,” he said, adding he was committed to working with colleagues to devise a solution that would “make sure people stay housed” while protecting landlords.

The continuance came after councilmembers and speakers raised competing concerns. Supporters for delay said more time was needed to coordinate with labor groups, review impacts on displaced workers, and craft funding and administrative details. Landlord representatives who spoke at the meeting warned that an immediate shift of rental-assistance obligations to private property owners would impose financial burdens and disincentives for small landlords to keep providing housing.

Speakers during the public-comment period also described the local economic effects of the fires: Councilmember Hernandez cited union intake figures supplied by labor partners; business and tenant advocates urged expedited rental-assistance funding to prevent evictions; and landlord speakers said policy uncertainty was already affecting investment decisions such as accessory-dwelling-unit construction.

The council recorded the continuance formally as a motion to continue Item 33 to March 4, 2025. No final policy changes were adopted at Tuesday’s meeting; the item will return for further consideration at the March 4 council session.

Clarifying details recorded during the meeting show labor partners reported roughly 7,000 union members affected by the fires and more than 1,000 union members who had lost homes, per the labor intake form cited by Hernandez. The council did not adopt new funding at the continuation vote and did not record a final ordinance or ordinance number for Item 33 on Tuesday.

The continuance leaves open several outstanding questions listed by councilmembers: the source and timing of rental-assistance funds, whether assistance will be city-funded or shared with landlords, and administrative timelines for delivering help to affected households. Those issues will be the focus of negotiations and the March 4 hearing.