CITY COUNCIL BOOSTS CASH FOR TENANTS BIG HIKE IN RELOCATION AID GETS FINAL OK FROM OFFICIALS.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH

Staff Writer

To ease the pain of being evicted from apartments being converted to condos, the Los Angeles City Council finalized a new tenant relocation program Wednesday that will double the amount of money ousted tenants now receive and help them find new units.

It is the first major increase in relocation assistance since 2004 and comes after more than 12,000 rent-controlled units have been demolished or converted to condos in the past five years.

The trend has raised concerns about the loss of affordable housing and the challenge evicted tenants have in finding comparable housing in a tight rental market.

Last week, the council tentatively approved a two-tier system that requires those evicting tenants to pay higher relocation fees for low-income tenants and those who have lived in the building for more than five years.

But housing advocates and other council members pushed for a shorter tenancy period and a faster implementation, so more renters served with eviction notices could qualify for the higher rate immediately.

On Wednesday, Councilman Herb Wesson agreed to lower the tenancy requirement so renters who live in their units three years or more will receive the higher fees.

"What I am asking is that we approve this unanimously so the minute we do that there will be almost double the relocation benefits for almost every tenant in Los Angeles," Wesson said.

Under the new program, low-income tenants and those who lived in a unit at least three years would receive the highest fees: $9,040 for most tenants and $17,080 for qualified tenants, including the disabled, elderly and parents of young children.

Tenants who have lived in the unit for less than three years would receive $6,810, with qualified tenants receiving $14,850.

The two-tier system was requested by some landlords and developers who wanted to cut some of the relocation expense while providing maximum assistance to the most vulnerable tenants.

However, some council members and the president of the Planning Commission worry the two-tier system will create another layer of government bureaucracy and make some landlords reluctant to rent to low-income tenants who would receive hefty relocation packages.

They wanted all tenants to get the higher figures, regardless of income and length of tenancy.

Planning Commission President Jane Usher, who was appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, said her panel found it would be cheaper and easier to pay all tenants the same amount.

"We simply wanted to get the money into the hands of people who are going to be relocated and we wanted it to be done with as few questions and as quickly as possible so that they could move on with their lives," Usher told the council Wednesday.

To ease some concerns, the two-tier system will end in July 2008 and offer the higher fees to all evicted tenants unless the City Council renews it. The new program was passed unanimously, and the mayor is expected to sign off on it.

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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