As we close out June, thousands of LA renters are facing a dangerous double bind — and the timing couldn’t be worse.

In a sudden move, the LA City Attorney is refusing to approve a $34 million contract renewal for Stay Housed L.A., a coalition that provides free legal defense to renters facing eviction. If that contract isn’t signed by June 30, services will vanish overnight for many of LA’s most vulnerable tenants — including hundreds of households already in active court proceedings.

At the same time, a wave of federal immigration raids across Southern California is causing chaos for families, disrupting incomes and intensifying fears of housing instability. Advocates are calling for emergency tenant protections, including an eviction moratorium and financial relief for those impacted.

This week’s newsletter breaks down what’s happening — and why this moment matters so much.

Since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stay Housed L.A. has been one of the most critical tools in the city’s housing defense strategy. It’s a unique collaboration of legal aid providers and tenant service groups that helps renters fight evictions, access rent relief, and navigate landlord harassment and retaliation.

Over the last four years, the group has:

This work was meant to continue. In April, the LA City Council voted to renew Stay Housed L.A.’s contract for another five years, with the support of Mayor Karen Bass. Everything was set — until City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto suddenly refused to approve the deal.

Her office now claims that the renewal violates competitive bidding rules under the City Charter, saying the contract wasn’t opened up for other providers to bid.

But tenant advocates point out that the City Attorney raised no objections when the City Council voted — and that there's now no time to issue and process a new round of competitive bids before the current contract expires on June 30.

That means:

As Barbara Schultz of the Legal Aid Foundation of LA put it:

A temporary fix is reportedly under discussion, but no deal has been finalized. Tenant leaders left a recent meeting with the City Attorney’s office “confused” and “frustrated,” with no clear sense of what comes next.

The timing of this potential service lapse is especially painful, given what’s happening on the ground.

Across Los Angeles and Southern California, immigration raids have intensified — targeting worksites, detaining heads of households, and fueling widespread fear among immigrants, workers, and tenants.

Community organizations, including the LA Tenants Union, SEIU 721, and the Coalition of Labor Union Employees, gathered this week to demand emergency action from the City Council. Their message was clear: families are being separated, jobs are being lost, and renters are now at risk of eviction through no fault of their own.

Many people are afraid to go to work, attend public meetings, or seek help. Street vendors and small businesses — critical income sources for undocumented and mixed-status families — are also being disrupted or shut down.

At a rally on Olvera Street, Kenia Alcocer of the LA Tenants Union said:

Organizers are urging the City Council to pass an emergency eviction moratorium for people impacted by the raids. They’re also calling for a citywide day of action next week to stand in solidarity with detained loved ones and push for stronger tenant protections.

Seven LA City Councilmembers have signed on to a proposal asking the City Attorney’s office to file legal action against the federal government for racial profiling and unlawful detainment. That legal motion is currently awaiting review in three committees before it can be brought to the full Council.

We know this week’s news is heavy. If you need a break, even just for a day, Silverwood Lake — tucked in the San Bernardino Mountains about 90 minutes from the city — is now open for full swim season through the end of September.

With mountain views, lifeguarded swim beaches, and kayak rentals, it’s a rare escape within driving distance. Parking fills up early and algae warnings are posted online, so be sure to plan ahead.

You deserve rest. Just don’t disconnect from the fight.

Here’s what Stay Housed L.A. has done in just four years of emergency funding:

If the contract lapses, existing clients will continue receiving help — but no new cases will be accepted. The hotline will close to LA city tenants, and staff will likely redirect efforts toward LA County instead.

Want to support them? Call your councilmember. Ask for a bridge contract. Demand a permanent, protected funding path.

This is what it looks like when policy and politics collide — and renters fall through the gap.

In 2020, LA promised tenants they would never face eviction alone again. But promises without funding mean nothing. Delays in extending contracts, legal wrangling over procurement rules, and quiet stalling behind closed doors are how vital services disappear — not with a bang, but with red tape.

Let’s be clear: this is more than a contract dispute. This is about whether low-income renters — many of them Black, Brown, immigrant, and working-class — have access to real protection when it matters most.

With ICE raids tearing through communities, jobs lost, and fear rising, LA must act with urgency. A bridge contract should be signed immediately. Emergency protections should be passed without delay. And “right to counsel” must mean exactly that — a right, not a slogan.

Your voice makes an impact. So does your referral.

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Thanks for reading, for caring, and for fighting.
We’ll be watching what happens next — and helping you navigate it.

— The Tenure View