LA County Deploys $11.4M Lifeline to Fight Surging Eviction Crisis

LOS ANGELES, CA – December 17, 2025 – The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) has approved an $11.4 million infusion of emergency funds aimed at preventing thousands of residents from falling into homelessness. The financial aid, awarded to nine community organizations and public agencies, will provide immediate rental and flexible assistance to renter households on the brink of eviction or displacement.

This latest allocation represents the largest single deployment of renter-protection funds from Measure A, the voter-approved sales tax designed to tackle the region's housing crisis. It brings the total prevention funding approved by the new agency in 2025 to $29.5 million, a significant investment in housing stability at a time when economic pressures continue to mount for low-income families across Los Angeles County.

“People across L.A. County are feeling more squeezed than ever, so we’re glad to be awarding $11 million in funding for emergency rental assistance and financial assistance,” said LACAHSA Board Chair and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement. “These funds will be administered by community organizations across the county—and will make a huge difference for thousands of people.”

A Response to Overwhelming Need

The urgency and scale of the county's housing instability were starkly illustrated by the demand for this funding. The Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by LACAHSA generated more than $100 million in submissions—nearly nine times the amount available. This overwhelming response underscores the deep and widespread need for support among renters struggling to keep up with high housing costs.

With 79% of extremely low-income households in Los Angeles County spending more than half their income on housing, a single unexpected event—such as a medical emergency, job loss, or car repair—can be enough to trigger an eviction. The new funding is designed to be a flexible, rapid-response tool to address such crises. The assistance can cover rent and utility arrears, security deposits, moving costs, and other critical needs that can help a family maintain its housing. The funds are designated to be expended between February 2026 and June 30, 2027, providing a crucial bridge for an estimated 1,750 households.

This financial lifeline comes as the county grapples with a staggering affordable housing deficit, estimated to be short approximately 270,000 units needed to meet current demand. For many, the dream of affordable rent remains out of reach, with a resident needing to earn nearly three times the city's minimum wage, or $49.58 per hour, to afford the average monthly rent of $2,578.

Measure A in Action: A New Era of Housing Strategy

The funding is a direct result of Measure A, the “Homelessness Services and Affordable Housing Ordinance” passed by county voters in November 2024. The half-cent sales tax, which is projected to generate over $1 billion annually, replaced the expiring Measure H tax and significantly expanded the financial firepower available for housing solutions. LACAHSA, an independent agency established in 2022, is a primary beneficiary, receiving 35.75% of the revenue to specifically focus on preventing homelessness and boosting the supply of affordable housing.

This structure was designed to create a more nimble, coordinated, and accountable approach to the housing crisis. The agency is mandated to operate with strict performance standards and regular public reporting to ensure the voter-approved dollars are delivered effectively. The distribution of funds through trusted community partners is a key part of this strategy, leveraging their local expertise and existing relationships with vulnerable populations.

“When households face eviction, we must act quickly. These funds do exactly that,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who serves as Chair of LACAHSA’s Renter Protection and Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee. “We must continue doing all that we can to keep families stable while we continue moving forward my robust agenda to make Los Angeles more affordable.” The City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department, under her purview, will receive $1.3 million of the newly awarded funds.

On the Front Lines: Community Partners Distribute Aid

The $11.4 million will be channeled through a diverse group of nine organizations with deep roots in communities across the county. The largest award, $2.7 million, went to the PATH Collaborative, a prominent organization focused on ending homelessness. Other major recipients include the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs ($1.23 million) and Better Angels ($1.23 million).

One million-dollar grants were also awarded to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Interval House, SALVA, the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), and the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) Collaborative. These organizations are positioned to provide culturally and linguistically specific services, a critical component for reaching immigrant and other underserved communities.

“Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) is proud to lead the 11-organization Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Collaborative,” noted Co-Executive Director Peter Gee. He described the group's work as addressing “critical human service gaps by delivering culturally and linguistically responsive homelessness prevention and renter protection services to immigrant communities, using prevention as one of the most effective strategies to stabilize housing.”

A Two-Pronged Attack on a Deep-Rooted Crisis

While this emergency aid addresses the immediate threat of displacement, LACAHSA officials emphasize it is one part of a broader, two-pronged strategy. This “prevention” effort runs parallel to a massive long-term investment in housing supply. The agency recently announced its inaugural $200 million Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) aimed at financing the production of new affordable housing and the preservation of existing affordable units.

This dual approach acknowledges that emergency rental assistance, while vital, is a stopgap measure. The fundamental solution to the region's crisis lies in closing the enormous gap between housing supply and demand. For decades, housing production in LA County has failed to keep pace with population growth, leading to the hyper-competitive and expensive market of today. LACAHSA’s five-year plan aims to directly combat this by helping produce a minimum of 1,800 affordable units annually.

The latest countywide data presents a complex picture. The 2025 homeless count revealed a second consecutive year of decline in the overall homeless population, down 4% to 72,308 people. However, the number of families experiencing homelessness rose by 5.9%, a troubling trend that highlights the precarious position of many households. This infusion of prevention funding is directly targeted at that vulnerability, aiming to keep families from ever entering the homeless services system in the first place. As these new funds begin to flow, all eyes will be on whether this strategy can turn the tide for thousands of Angelenos one rent payment at a time.