Renters, housing officials call for greater protection from no-fault evictions

L.A. housing activists, sick of seeing renters evicted by landlords who want to redevelop their buildings, are calling for the City Council to pass tighter protection measures for renters, according to Southern California Public Radio.

These kinds of evictions, legal under the state’s Ellis Act, are growing. They are also leaving renters displaced, according to a report published by the city’s housing department this week.

In 2015, 1,100 units were taken off the market under the Ellis Act.

“It began to rise again in approximately 2013 and tripled between 2013 and 2014,” Anna Ortega of the L.A. Housing and Community Development department told SCPR.

Possible protections for renters include requiring annual reports from developers who are evicting tenants, to make sure they’re not ducking rent stabilization rules. Ortega said City Council should also support amendments to the Ellis Act at the state level to mandate a one-year notification before eviction.

Renters took to city hall Wednesday — the third annual Renters’ Day — to urge lawmakers to take action. [SCPR] — Cathaleen Chen