County, City Paid $4 Million in Rent Assistance to Pasadena Tenants

Pasadena residents received nearly $4 million in rental assistance from Los Angeles County and local programs, according to the city’s housing director.

All told, 641 local residents received assistance.

“To date, the county program has expended $2.97 million for Pasadena renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bill Huang, the city’s housing director wrote in a memo to City Manager Steve Mermell.

A total of 366 households have received assistance. An additional 159 Pasadena applications are still being processed by the county and will likely result in further awards of rental assistance.

The city served 275 COVID-19 impacted renter households through the city’s $1 million Emergency Rental Assistance program.

Some tenants received assistance from both programs, but tenants could not apply for assistance from both programs for the same months of back rent.

Last August, the county launched a $103 million emergency rental assistance program using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds allocated from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

As part of the program, the county doled out nearly $3 million for Pasadena residents impacted by the pandemic.

Households financially impacted by COVID-19 were eligible to receive up to $10,000 towards back-rent owed to their landlords, as well as future rent. Funds awarded were paid directly to landlords.

Pasadena officials provided aid to impacted renter households through the city’s $1 million Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Households were eligible to apply for both the city and the County programs but not for the same months of back rent with a total combined cap on assistance of $10,000 per household.