Survey: One Fifth Of LA Tenants Paid Rent Late During Pandemic

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - About 22 percent of Los Angeles County tenants paid rent late at least once during the pandemic, according to a new report.

The survey, a joint effort between the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California, found that between April and July more than one-fifth of respondents paid rent late. Seven percent didn't pay rent at least once between those months.

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez introduced a motion Tuesday to set the city on a path toward expanding its Emergency Renters Relief Program using additional funding approved by Congress to assist tenants during COVID-19.

"While the city's eviction moratorium and Renters Assistance Program have provided critical relief, many tenants still find themselves months behind on rent with no foreseeable way to pay it back," the motion reads. "In a city that is over half renters, this could turn into a catastrophe with hundreds of thousands of families ending up on the street."

Starting in the summer, 49,133 families were assisted through Los Angeles' rent relief program, which allocated $103.9 million in funding, according to Martinez. Each family received about $2,000 in rent subsidies.

Mayor Eric Garcetti sent a reminder out Tuesday that landlords in the City of Los Angeles cannot legally evict tenants if they are unable to pay rent because of COVID-19.

In a tweet, Garcetti said there are eviction protections for renters in place currently for the City of Los Angeles.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)