Brief

Councilmember Heather Hutt, seconded by Hugo Soto-Martínez, introduced a motion to strengthen the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) by expanding public participation accessibility and enabling virtual participation in related proceedings. The Housing Committee approved the motion on September 8, 2026, after scheduling it for consideration. The motion remains pending with final council action required.

Full summary

This motion, introduced by Councilmember Heather Hutt and seconded by Hugo Soto-Martínez, addresses a accessibility gap that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic: Los Angeles Housing Department administrative and REAP hearings shifted to phone and remote formats without fully accounting for tenants' and property owners' ability to participate. The motion argues the city should return to in-person hearings as the default while building in robust virtual and language access options. REAP itself is the city's primary enforcement tool for persistent habitability violations in rental housing — tenants in affected units receive rent reductions of 10% to 50% based on the severity of violations and can pay reduced rent into a city-managed escrow account rather than to the landlord. The motion directs two specific actions. First, it asks the City Attorney to draft an ordinance amending Municipal Code Section 162.06 and recommending amendments to Rent Adjustment Commission Regulations 1200.00, to permanently require all LAHD administrative hearings — including REAP and General Manager hearings — to be held in person, while also allowing virtual watching and participation. The proposed ordinance would require LAHD to centralize all hearing notices in one place on its website, post notices in English and Spanish plus other languages depending on the neighborhood, provide Spanish interpretation at every hearing, and offer interpretation in any available language when a participant requests it at least 72 hours in advance. Second, the motion instructs LAHD, with City Attorney assistance, to report back on how to allow new evidence and testimony to be introduced at administrative hearings, which is not currently a standard feature of these proceedings. The motion was referred to the Housing and Homelessness Committee upon introduction in August 2025. The NoHo Neighborhood Council submitted a supportive community impact statement in February 2026. After being rereferenced to the Housing Committee under Council File No. 26-2000, the committee took up the item on September 8, 2026, and approved it on a 2-0 vote (Padilla yes, Jurado yes, Park absent). The matter now moves to the full City Council for final action. No fiscal analysis has been completed by the City Administrative Officer or Chief Legislative Analyst.

Activity (5)

• 2026-09-08 Housing Committee approved item(s) .
• 2026-08-31 Housing Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 8, 2026.
• 2026-08-28 City Clerk rereferred item to Housing Committee, pursuant to Council File No. 26-2000.
• 2026-02-13 Community Impact Statement submitted by NoHo Neighborhood Council.
• 2025-08-12 Motion referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Documents (4)

• 2026-09-08 Report from Housing Committee · report
• 2026-09-05 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2026-02-13 Community Impact Statement submitted by NoHo Neighborhood Council · cis
• 2025-08-12 Motion · motion