Koreatown Tenants Union is Here!
Housing is Key, California Covid-19 Rent and Utilities Relief is Accepting Applications Now
September 24rd, Friday by Susan Park
Los Angeles County residents can call 1-833-430-2122 to set an appointment with a local partner who can help you with the application for rent and utilities relief over the phone or make an in-person appointment. The hotline has multilingual staff, including Korean speakers.
https://housing.ca.gov/ You can also apply on your own online in Korean.
Stay Housed LA has a Korean language line
한국어로 도움이 필요하시면 833-225-9415 로 전화하세요
Eviction moratoriums are confusing.
LA County, California state, The Federal government, and The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) can all issue eviction moratoriums.
LA County’s eviction moratorium is set to expire on September 30, 2021 and will be replaced by California state’s eviction moratorium. Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in March 2020 and this is still in effect. Tenants will still be protected during legislative transitions.
Los Angeles County residents can call 1-833-430-2122 to set an appointment with a local partner who can help you with the application for rent and utilities relief over the phone or make an in-person appointment. The hotline has multilingual staff, including Korean speakers. https://housing.ca.gov/ You can also apply on your own online in Korean.
If you’re unable to pay rent, you should submit a “Notice of Inability to Pay Rent Due to Covid-19” to your landlord, if you have not done so already. This is a critical step that tenants must take, especially if you are sent a notice to pay rent or quit. https://dcba.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Self-Certification-4.21.20.pdf
Socal Gas https://www.socalgas.com/coronavirus and LADWP
https://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/faces/ladwp/aboutus/a-inourcommunity/abt-incomm-covid19;jsessionid=Dj7sh6QLJTvbLkd7rLzbwbqTQ7kJgK4782TMhWXQcL3dfsRyk5mN!460369044?_afrLoop=737885015814857&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null#%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D737885015814857%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D9cjklpyxv_4 have information in Korean. Both utilities companies are keeping abreast of the latest legislation and programs regarding utilities payments from customers. Please be aware that you might start getting late notices from utilities companies. However, payment plans and financial relief are available to low-income residents.
If you are being harassed by your landlord or are served with a notice to quit, please contact susanpark@krcla.org to join our new Koreatown Tenants Union. Our first meeting will be on Saturday, September 25, 2021 between 2:00 pm-4:00 pm via zoom. Please email susanpark@krcla.org for a link. We will discuss tenants rights, landlord responsibilities, and current legislation. The zoom will be bilingual in Korean/English.
Please be specific about issues with your landlord such as time, date, and exactly what the issue is. If you have complained to your landlord or your landlord has harassed you or not complied with laws, please have copies of written communication or have dates and times for oral communication. It is up to you as a tenant to maintain records in a file. Tenants who live in Rent Controlled units have additional protections. You can search on Zimas RSO property search http://zimas.lacity.org/
Thanks to tenants rights groups and the realities of covid-19, it has become increasingly difficult to evict tenants. While tenants have more rights, they still have basic responsibilities. We will cover these in our new Koreatown Tenants Union workshops.
Landlords also have financial relief options. California legislators and elected officials are invested in helping both tenants and landlords. If your landlord acts like they have no financial relief other than illegally forcing you to pay rent, let them know about Housing is Key https://housing.ca.gov/