L.A. County hopes financial incentives will get property owners to accept housing vouchers

LOS ANGELES — In an effort to increase the number of available rental units, L.A. County is offering new financial incentives to property owners.

The incentive program is called Open Doors and is a collaborative effort between L.A. County and the Los Angeles County Development Authority. Its goal is to get more families into housing before they end up homeless. 

One major obstacle facing homeless families, officials said, is that many property owners refuse to accept housing vouchers.

“Property owners are an essential partner in the county’s fight to end homelessness,” county officials said in a statement. “As homelessness in Los Angeles County increases and property owner participation in rental assistance programs decreases, thousands of families and individuals, including many military veterans, struggle to find opportunities to use their vouchers in the county’s competitive rental market, contributing to the broader homelessness issue.”

Property owners who participate in Open Doors receive financial incentives, including: 

A sign-on bonus for property owners upon execution of their contract

Vacancy loss payment totaling one month’s rent if the family vacates the unit without proper notice or is evicted for a good cause. 

Damage mitigation for unit repairs. Up to $2,000 not covered by the security deposit to repair the rental unit following the departure of the subsidized family. 

Access to a team of specialists trained to assist property owners with all aspects of L.A County’s rental assistance programs. 

Reliable rental payments deposited directly into the property owner’s bank account. 

Property owners interested in Open Doors can call (626) 586-1999 or email opendoors@lacda.org.