A city program could help rent-burdened families across Los Angeles with up to $19,000 in cash assistance.
The $14 million Emergency Income Support Program, funded by MeasureULA, is aimed at low-income tenants living with older adults and people with disabilities. It will provides direct financial assistance to cover rent, food, transportation, childcare, or other personal needs to those impacted by recent wildfires or other community emergencies.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be renters
- Have at least one household member over the age of 65 or with a physical or mental disability
- Earn at or below 50% of the Area Median Income, though priority will go to those living at or below 30 percent. (For a family of 4, the maximum annual household income is $75,750 or $45,450, respectively)
- Be rent-burdened, meaning that they spend more than 30 percent of their total household income on rent
- Be “at risk of homelessness,” such as having past due rent or an eviction warning notice
The application requires proof of identity, residency, income verification and rent payment history. A full list of documents can be found here.
How much will households receive?
The amount of funds given will depend on household size. A household with up to two people could receive $12,510, households with three to four people could receive up to $15,606, and those with five or more people could receive the $19,000 maximum.
Applicants who received funds through the 2025 ULA Income Support Program are not eligible.
Priority for renters impacted by local emergencies
Priority will be given to households impacted by the January 2025 wildfires and “other recent local emergencies,” as well as those paying over 50% of their income on rent or living in a rent-stabilized unit.
It is not clear what the city classifies as a recent local emergency, but over the summer, advocates called on the city to use Measure ULA funds to prioritize households affected by immigration raids after many lost their primary breadwinner, workplaces shut down and people didn’t leave their homes or go to work out of fear.
Why it matters for Boyle Heights
In Council District 14, more than 75% of residents are renters. The district also has the highest concentration of eviction notices issued across the city, according to the City Controller. From February 2023 through September 2025, more than 34,000 eviction notices were filed in the district.
A recent Boyle Heights Beat survey revealed that older adults in the community identified affordable housing or rent assistance as their most urgent need.
The concern reflects a broader challenge facing older adults in the area. In 2023, 34% of adults over the age of 65 in Los Angeles County did not have enough income to meet their basic needs, according to the California Elder Index, which measures how much older adults pay for necessities, including food, medical care, housing and transportation across the state.
“Our seniors and our neighbors with disabilities are among those most at risk of losing their homes, their stability, and the support systems they rely on every day,” said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado in a statement. “In CD14, where the majority of families are renters and rising housing costs threaten to push people out of their neighborhoods, this program delivers the kind of direct support our community urgently needs.”
How to apply:
Applications are available online here and close at 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 30. Call (855) 582-3973 for more information.
Free in-person assistance in English and Spanish is available to those who need help completing the application.
In Boyle Heights:
El Centro de Ayuda
2130 1st St., Suite 110
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 526-9301
Other Los Angeles locations:
All Peoples Community Center, Southeast LA
822 E 20th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90011
(213) 747-6357
West Adams / Leimert Park Center, West Adams
4305 Degnan Blvd., Suite 105
Los Angeles, CA 90008
(323) 991-5850
Koreatown Youth & Community Center, Wilshire
1230 Menlo Ave., Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 365-7400
