LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Residents in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County can now benefit from an expansion of the Stay Housed LA program, which provides free legal representation to eligible tenants facing eviction, officials announced Wednesday.

Since 2020, Stay Housed LA has been the county's comprehensive eviction defense program, providing tenants with information and resources to help minimize tenant displacement and homelessness. The program is a partnership between the county, the city of L.A., legal service providers and local community organizations.

The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs delayed the launch of the expanded program until now due to January's wildfires. The DCBA noted that the program is timely as the region "confronts widespread displacement and rent gouging" in the aftermath of the fire emergencies that destroyed approximately 10,000 homes and displaced 40,000 residents.

Last year, the Board of Supervisors approved the Tenant Right to Counsel Ordinance, which expanded protections for residents in the unincorporated areas of the county. The ordinance codified a program that provides legal representation to tenants who received an unlawful detainer and whose household income is equal to or less than 80% of the area median income.

Additionally, landlords are required to provide tenants with notice of the county's program in English and any other frequently spoken languages when they serve a tenant with a notice of termination of tenancy. Information must be posted in accessible areas such as near mailboxes, in laundry rooms, property entrances or an onsite management office.

Failure to comply with notice requirements can result in civil penalties of up to $800 per violation, criminal penalties of up to $800, and/or imprisonment in county jail for up to six months. Each day a violation continues is a separate and distinct offense, according to the DCBA.

Barbara Schultz, director of housing justice for the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, told City News Service that L.A. County joined San Francisco and several jurisdictions in the country that have codified a Right to Counsel Ordinance.

"It is particularly important for Los Angeles, where we have such a high unhoused crisis and such a night number of people who are unhoused," Schultz said. "It is absolutely imperative that we keep people housed and that they are not allowed to fall into homelessness."

Stay Housed LA provides outreach to tenants and hosts educational workshops so tenants can learn about their rights. Tenants facing housing issues can attend clinics or consult with an attorney about their issues. Renters facing eviction proceedings can get aid from a free lawyer, if they are eligible.

The program also includes some rental assistance funds to keep tenants in their home.

Critics of the ordinance have argued that the county is better off offering financial assistance to help tenants pay their rent rather than paying hundreds of dollars for attorney's fees.

Schultz said it's "truly an access to justice issue." She said 90% of tenants go to court without an attorney while 90% of landlords go to court with an attorney.

"It is an extremely uneven playing field," she added.

According to Schultz, in fiscal year 2023-24, Stay Housed LA represented more than 2,800 tenants in court and provided nearly 8,000 tenants with limited legal services.

Of tenants who received representation, 52% remained in their home and 46% received a "soft landing," meaning they received extended time to move, or relocation assistance, officials said.

Stay Housed LA contacted 930,000 tenants through phone, texts and in- person outreach over that period. Staff also hosted 412 workshops attended by more than 8,400 tenants, they said.

"Part of the mission of Stay Housed LA is to ensure that tenants in the county of LA become informed about their rights as tenants because there are so many tenants who simply get a notice from their landlord or sometimes even a verbal warning that they need to leave -- and they do, when in fact, of course, they absolutely do not have to do that," Schultz told CNS.

More information is available at stayhousedla.org/.