Tenant Protections Hotline and Small Claims Advisor Program

CONSUMER AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS

County Spending Category
2.4 Stable Housing
Federal Expenditure Category
Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Aid
Project Launch Date
12/05/2021
Anticipated End Date
04/01/2023
Interpretation Languages
  • Spanish
Written Languages
  • Spanish
Project Contacts Indicators & Metrics Target Populations Project Description Goals & Objectives

Project Contacts

Indicators & Metrics to Date

  • Number of Households Served
    25606
  • Number of Households Receiving Eviction Prevention Services (Including Legal Representation)
    0
  • Number of Referrals made to Enforcement Unit
    24
  • Number of Counselors Hired
    3
  • Number of Calls Answered
    8517
  • Numbers of Calls Received from Commerical Tenants
    0
  • Number of Calls Received from Residential Tenants
    13864
  • Number of Calls Received From Landlords
    10700
  • Number of In-Person and Virtual Counseling Sessions
    252
  • Number of Emails Responded to
    14

Target Populations

  • People with Disabilities
  • Systems Impacted Individuals
  • Systems Involved Individuals
  • Individuals Experiencing Mental Health Disorders
  • Individuals Experiencing Substance Use Disorders
  • People Experiencing Homelessness

Project Description

Given the rise in housing insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic along with the lifting of state emergency protections, the Tenant Protections Hotline plays a vital role in closing the information gaps to ensure tenants, specifically those that have been historically underserved or have faced barriers to accessing County and community resources, understand their rights and responsibilities under local rules and regulations, including the County’s COVID-19 Tenant Protections Ordinance (formerly known as Eviction Moratorium), and Rent Stabilization ordinances. The Tenant Protections Hotline will expand DCBA’s existing Housing & Tenant Protections call center, which aims to help residents of Los Angeles County receive accurate information about the County’s housing and tenant protections. This will be done through the delivery of accessible multilingual counseling and information via telephone, email, or one-on-one virtual or in-person sessions to consumers and tenants with questions and requiring guidance on tenant-landlord rights and responsibilities, and referral to available resources, including financial and legal resources. The education and assistance provided allow tenants to be better informed and take action to resolve housing problems in order to prevent housing loss. Calls are also assessed for potential violations of local ordinances, which are referred directly to DCBA’s enforcement unit for investigation, as well as direct referrals to Stay Housed LA for those at risk of eviction. The project will also fund administrative and staff costs to develop and implement since August 2021. 

Goals & Objectives

Goal Description All County residents who call the Tenant Protections Hotline receive direct counseling and are connected to appropriate services and information so they can remain housed.The Hotline will contribute toward increased stable housing by providing information for those looking to be better informed on their rights and protections and any available resources to avoid displacement. For Los Angeles County tenant households to remain housed through increased information, counseling, and direct referrals to available resources to help them avoid evictions by December, 31, 2024.

Objective Description Onboard 3 Consumer and Business Affairs Representative I staff to expand Hotline capacity.

Activity Description Onboard 3 Consumer and Business Affairs Representative I staff to expand Hotline capacity and Provide onboarding trainings to staff, as well as direct hands-on training through shadowing of experienced counselors.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
16 Program Outcome Number of Counselors Hired 3.00

Activity Description Evaluate client intakes involving potential violations of local ordinances and other complaints involving disputes between tenants and landlords for referral to DCBA’s Enforcement Unit
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
2 Service Delivery Number of Referrals made to Enforcement Unit 1500.00
15 Service Delivery Number of Referrals made to Enforcement Unit 60.00

Activity Description Provide direct counseling to 50,000 callers (of which 45k are tenants and 5k are commercial tenants) to connect them to appropriate services and information on their rights and protections and any available resources to maximize the likelihood of remaining housed
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
3 Service Delivery Number of Calls Answered 20000.00
18 Performance Number of Emails Responded to
21 Program Outcome Number of Calls Answered 50000.00
28 Performance Numbers of Calls Received from Commerical Tenants 5000.00
29 Performance Number of Calls Received from Residential Tenants 45000.00
30 Performance Number of Calls Received From Landlords
32 Performance Number of In-Person and Virtual Counseling Sessions

Outcome Description Onboard 3 Consumer and Business Affairs Representative I staff to expand Hotline capacity to provide direct counseling to at least 50,000 tenants and property owners to connect them to appropriate services and information on their rights and protections.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
19 Program Outcome Number of Referrals made to Enforcement Unit 60.00
21 Program Outcome Number of Calls Answered 50000.00