Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Promises More Rent Relief

More rent relief is coming to Los Angeles as the city aims to continue its housing affordability policies, Mayor Karen Bass said.

In her state of the city address on Monday night, Bass pledged $14 million in rental assistance for seniors and people with disabilities through the city's United to House LA program. It's one of several priorities she said were underway to ensure affordability in the city.

"I will do everything in my power to make living and thriving in Los Angeles an achievable dream for anyone and everyone in the city," Bass said.

Rents in Los Angeles have been sky-high for years, with some measures to help with affordability already in place, including a cap on rent increases.

In February, landlords of most multifamily apartments will be limited to annual rent increases of 1% to 4%, based on local inflation—down from the long-standing 3% to 8% cap in place for the past 40 years.

The median rent in the Los Angeles metro was $2,776 in November, more than $1,000 higher than the median national rent of $1,693, according to the latest Realtor.com® data. However, rent in Los Angeles fell 2% overall year over year.

The City of Angels is not alone, with rental levels across major California metros well above the national median, according to the Realtor.com California State of Real Estate report.

In Los Angeles, the city expedited construction of 30,000 units of affordable housing under Executive Directive 1. About 6,000 of those units are under construction, Bass said. She signed that measure into law when she took office in 2022 to expedite permits for affordable housing.

Bass also promised additional support for homelessness programs. The city says it has "resolved" 120 homeless encampments and moved residents into interim or permanent housing. About 85% have been retained in that permanent housing.

And the city is reemphasizing its initiative to house veterans, a concept launched in 2025 that has today resulted in 600 veterans housed, Bass said.

This follows a series of laws in recent years aimed at housing affordability, including a rent increase cap and other tenants' rights measures.

"A city that prices out its next generation is a city that stops believing in its own future," Bass said. "We must, and we will, remain a place where working people can live, build, and thrive without being crushed by the costs of simply calling this place home."

Bass gave the speech as Los Angeles prepares to host several major sporting events this summer: the Women's U.S. Open and the FIFA World Cup. In 2028, the city will host the Olympic Games.

Los Angeles wildfire recovery

Bass also touted progress in rebuilding from the wildfires that ravaged parts of the city last year. The slow progress of rebuilding from the fires, which also damaged big sections of The Palisades and Los Angeles County, has frustrated residents.

An estimated 12,000 homes were destroyed in the blazes. The UCLA Anderson Forecast estimates property and capital losses range between $76 billion and $131 billion. Total insured losses could top $45 billion.

"We're moving with urgency," Bass said. "We've expedited the entire rebuilding process without compromising safety, and we've overhauled the building permitting system."

Los Angeles' rebuilding progress tracker shows, as of Feb. 3, it has issued 1,735 permits and an additional 1,263 are in review. About 400 homes are under construction, Bass said.

Realtor.com data shows the fires destroyedan estimated $8.3 billion in home value in Altadena and Pacific Palisades alone.

She didn't directly address the criticisms from President Donald Trump that her administration and that of California Gov. Gavin Newsom were moving too slowly in recovery efforts.

But she criticized the federal government's involvement in the city through deployments of the National Guard and ongoing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.