Low-income renters in the City of Los Angeles who have a household member age 65 or older or someone with a disability are officially on the clock. They have until 12 p.m. PDT on April 30, 2026, to apply for an emergency income support program that can deliver up to $19,000 in a one-time payment. The cash is intended as an immediate safety net for households that are rent-burdened or at risk of displacement after recent local emergencies, and the application window is short, with payments going out as a lump sum to selected households.
Who qualifies and how much you can get
Eligibility is limited to renters inside Los Angeles city limits whose gross household income is at or below 50 percent of Area Median Income and who are rent‑burdened or at risk of homelessness. Households with incomes at or below 30 percent of AMI and those paying more than half of their income for rent are prioritized.
The program’s benefit schedule pays $12,510 for one- or two-person households, $15,606 for three- or four-person households, and up to $19,000 for households of five or more. All awards are delivered as a single prepaid debit card payment. These details and the application portal are published by the program administrator, according to FORWARD.
How it's run and where the money comes from
The Community Investment for Families Department will run this emergency round in coordination with the Los Angeles Housing Department and a contracted platform that will process applications and payments. City budget documents show roughly $13.7 million set aside to be disbursed to about 1,000 households.
The report also notes that payments will be issued via a U.S. Bank ReliaCard and that outreach will be conducted through FamilySource Centers and community-based organizations. Those implementation details are laid out in a City of Los Angeles report.
Last year's pilot and community partners
This emergency round follows a 2025 interim program that distributed nearly $10 million in one-time $20,000 awards to 494 households citywide, according to the Los Angeles Housing Department. Community legal groups, including the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and the Housing Rights Center, are listed as partners offering free benefits counseling so recipients can understand how a lump-sum payment may affect other public benefits.
The partner list and prior-outcome data are available from the Los Angeles Housing Department and program partners such as LAFLA.
How to apply and where to get help
Applicants should apply through the city's portal, and in-person assistance is available at eight FamilySource Centers. FORWARD provides phone support at (213) 649-2718 for technical questions.
The portal and city materials note that awards are non-taxable but may affect eligibility for some public benefits, and free benefits counseling is offered as part of enrollment, so households can weigh the implications before they spend a dollar. The application opened April 10 and will close at 12 p.m. PDT on April 30, 2026. For the application and full FAQ, see FORWARD.
