I am writing today to bring to your immediate attention to the fact that the City Attorney has directed LAHD to not execute a new five year contract with Stay Housed LA, with Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) as lead contractor.  On April 25, 2025, the City Council approved the execution of this contract (Council File No. 20-1084-S4), which was then signed by the Mayor on May 1, 2025.   The current contract expires on June 30, 2025.

If this contract is not renewed within the next two weeks, the impact on the City’s ability to provide for those most at risk of homelessness will be catastrophic. We urge City Council to exercise its authority decisively to ensure the contract is renewed and services are maintained.

As you know, Stay Housed LA has been implementing rental assistance, eviction defense, homelessness prevention, and tenant outreach and education activities for the City for the past four years.   Stay Housed LA includes eleven legal service providers and sixteen community based organizations to deliver these critical services throughout the entire City, and prevent homelessness and stabilize housing for thousands of Angelinos each year.  Additionally, Measure ULA’s program requires eviction defense and prevention, outreach and education, and tenant anti-harassment services, all of which fall under the Stay Housed LA contract, so failing to execute the contract will bring the City out of compliance with ULA’s requirements.

I need your office’s urgent intervention to ensure a new five year contract is implemented by the Los Angeles Housing Department. If this contract were to expire in approximately two weeks without the replacement contract executed, as is currently planned, there could be NO NEW services provided to people facing eviction, illegal rent increases, and other actions that threaten people’s housing. There would be NO access to critical rental assistance payments that keep people housed. There would be NO tenant education and outreach services, reaching those most in need across the City and providing additional supports to those most impacted by the immigration raids.   

In the past four years, Stay Housed LA provided full scope representation to over 4,200 tenants and limited legal services to over 15,000 tenants.  According to Stay Housing LA data, 56% of represented tenants remained in their homes for a long term collective economic benefit of $20,161,073 (savings from not moving) and soft landings are provided to another 38%, with these tenants receiving collective economic benefit of $21,613,570 (waived back rent, relocation assistance, fee waivers). Stay Housed LA provided over $9.5 million dollars in rental assistance to keep people in their homes. Stay Housed LA outreached close to 840,000 city tenants, and held hundreds of workshops.This year, with ULA funding, Stay Housed LA could be achieving its largest expansion yet, vastly increasing the number of attorneys with a target of representing 3,000 tenants. 

All of this impact will abruptly end on June 30, 2025, without any notice to tenants and limited notice to the dozens of staff members, without your immediate intervention.   

I call on City Councilmembers to assert your authority, and ensure your vote is implemented.  It is not the role of the City Attorney to overturn Council votes. In this instance, the role is clear in the original motion - to approve the contract in form. If the City Attorney does not want to approve the contract in form, LAHD has Council authority to execute it as is. 

Thank you for your consideration.