Anyone, including those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, can search and register for housing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants can apply to all properties but only to covered housing developments (using the housing registry) if you meet the qualifications. When the affordable housing has an open Conventional Wait List, the property status will be changed to "OPEN" and they can apply for the wait list. Please contact the affordable housing properties directly to request applications.
Unverified properties have not been verified for accessibility compliance by the City of Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (HCIDLA) at this time. Please check back later for information on accessible units. When the affordable housing has an open Conventional Wait List, the property status will be changed to "OPEN" and they can apply for the wait list. Please contact the affordable housing properties directly to request an application.
All notification options are selected as a default setting. Applicants can deselect if they don’t want to be notified under account settings. Notifications:
Many people ask for help with HUD housing, but they really mean that they want any type of subsidized (i.e. reduced rent) affordable housing that may assist them. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has several types of housing programs. There is information on the HUD website, but the majority of HUD funds for the Los Angeles area go through the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles and other cities. There are other types of housing subsidy programs that are not called HUD programs. This website tries to provide information on all types of programs and will continue to add more information. You can search for HUD-funded housing in Los Angeles County here: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Affordable Apartment Search
The Section 8 Voucher has been an effective tool to help very low income families and individuals pay for rental housing. Both the City and County of Los Angeles have housing authorities that manage Section 8 vouchers and public housing. You will need to check each housing authority for more information: Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) or Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
Be prepared to learn that there is an overwhelming demand for Section 8 vouchers, and many waiting lists are closed.
There are several ways to find accessible housing, however, the main way to search for accessible housing is to go online.
The Accessible Housing Program has developed a web-based, online tool that any member of the public with access the internet, can use. You can search for accessible housing using different filters, including council district, number of bedrooms and other variables.
Under California law disability is a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity. "Limits" means making the achievement of a major life activity difficult.
"Major Life Activity" includes: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working, and major bodily functions.
Affordable housing units are based upon an individual or families income as it relates to the area median income (AMI). The percentage of the AMI income level varies from unit to unit. You can determine what your income limits are based on the current median household income here.
221 N. Figueroa St., 14th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012
All communication must be done in a manner that works best for the individuals that are a party to the communication.
Housing providers must ensure that communication with tenants or applicants with a disability is as effective as communicating with people who don't have disabilities.
Housing providers must provide auxiliary aides and services, upon request, at no cost to the applicant or tenant, in a reasonable amount of time. Furnishing appropriate auxiliary aids and services includes the use of interpreters, transcription or captioning services, accessible electronic materials and websites, and large print, Braille, and other alternate format materials may be necessary.
Tenants and applicants may request specific communication aids and services at any time by any method.
Yes, but the federal Fair Housing Act allows you to have your animal at home as a "reasonable accommodation" for your disability when necessary for people with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to enjoy housing. Service animals and emotional support animals are not subject to breed, size, or weight restrictions ordinarily applied to pets and tenants must not be charged pet deposits or pet rent for them. Service animal is a right under the federal Fair Housing Act, whereas an Emotional Support Animal falls under the Reasonable Accommodation process/approval.
Typically, you should make a specific request in writing, indicating that you need the requested accommodation or modification because of your disability. The request does not have to give your diagnosis.
It is also possible that, because of your disability, you cannot make a written request at all. In this case, you may make the request orally or ask someone else to do it for you.
Applications submitted by individuals with a disability are eligible to receive reasonable accommodations. People with disabilities have the right to an equal opportunity to enjoy housing. Because of this, the housing provider must allow applicants for housing to request reasonable modifications to the premises and must allow applicant to make requests for reasonable accommodations. Reasonable modifications speak to structural or physical changes to a unit or common space; reasonable accommodations involve changes to rules, practices, and services.
The best way to check your status on a waiting list is to contact the housing or apartment community you applied to. The method of how to find out your status varies by each office. Some offices are not able to provide your specific position on the waiting list, but can confirm if you are currently on the waiting list.
Applicants can resubmit their applications if their previous applications were rejected. You will be asked if you want to use your previous application information.
Applicants can use the same information from the previous application when applying through the Affordable and Accessible Housing Registry (AAHR). The AAHR will auto-populate the data on the application. Applicants must apply to each property individually. For properties containing the same property management contact information you must submit an individual application for each property on the housing registry.
Contact an Access Center to get services and referrals to housing resources, including those available through the LA County Coordinated Entry System (CES). Click here for the CES Access Point Directory.
The Coordinated Entry System (CES) serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness. If you are experiencing homelessness or assisting someone who is, follow these steps:
1. From the Home page, click Begin Your Search for Housing
2. Click on “More Search Options” on the upper right side.
3. Check the “CES Combo” and “CES Only” boxes.
4. Click “Submit Search.”
5. You will see a list of properties with CES units. Click on each property for more information, or click “Print” in the upper right for a printable list. Pay attention to the Property Status: “Open,” “In Development,” or “Waitlist.”
To apply for housing through CES, contact the CES Access Center for the Service Planning Area (SPA) listed on the property detail page. Note: Only persons or families experiencing homelessness are eligible to apply for CES units.
No charges will be incurred at any time. Housing.LACity.org is a free listing service.
A detailed User Guide has been created to assist with navigating the Affordable and Accessible Housing Registry (AAHR). The complete User Guide can be downloaded by clicking here. Owners and Property Management are able to register using their email, Google, or Facebook account.
Basic contact information must be provided in order for tenants to contact you. This must include your name and phone number and may optionally contain your mailing or e-mail address. However, you control your information and can update it at any time via the Internet or a toll free phone call.
Registered property accounts can manage and update their listing at any time on their dashboard. Updates can be made 24 hours a day and will be instantly applied. Properties will become active immediately after they are correctly entered into the system.
This is a free way to maintain an inventory of your properties. When there are vacancies, your property will already be included on the housing locator site and viewable by thousands. Covered Housing Developments are mandated to list their property.
Under California law disability is a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity. "Limits" means making the achievement of a major life activity difficult.
"Major Life Activity" includes: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working, and major bodily functions.
A reasonable accommodation is a change, modification, exception, alteration, or adaptation in rules, policies, practices, programs, or activities that may be necessary to: (1) provide a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and common use areas of a development, (2) participate in, or benefit from, a program (housing or non-housing), service or activity; or (3) avoid discrimination against a person with a disability.
Engage the tenant in an interactive process to determine whether the requested modification or accommodation can be made. The request may be denied only if the tenant does not have a disability as defined by law; there is no correlation between the disability and the request; or the request is not reasonable, i.e., undue burden or fundamental alteration of the nature of the program. All decisions must be in writing. It is also important to keep an accurate log of all requests, including the nature of the request and its status.
The housing provider must pay for disability-related, reasonable accommodations/modifications.
A service animal is a dog (or miniature horse), individually trained to do a specific task for a person with a disability.
An emotional support animal is any animal, not trained with/for a specific task, which provides emotional support to a person with a disability simply by existing and being near the person.
Unlike a service animal, an emotional support animal is not granted access to places of public accommodation.
Yes, but the federal Fair Housing Act allows you to have your animal at home as a "reasonable accommodation" for your disability when necessary for people with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to enjoy housing. Service animals and emotional support animals are not subject to breed, size, or weight restrictions ordinarily applied to pets and tenants must not be charged pet deposits or pet rent for them. Service animal is a right under the federal Fair Housing Act, whereas an Emotional Support Animal falls under the Reasonable Accommodation process/approval.
All communication must be done in a manner that works best for the individuals that are a party to the communication.
Housing providers must ensure that communication with tenants or applicants with a disability is as effective as communicating with people who don't have disabilities.
Housing providers must provide auxiliary aides and services, upon request, at no cost to the applicant or tenant, in a reasonable amount of time. Furnishing appropriate auxiliary aids and services includes the use of interpreters, transcription or captioning services, accessible electronic materials and websites, and large print, Braille, and other alternate format materials may be necessary.
The Accessible Housing Program (AcHP) ensures that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to rent, use, and enjoy housing that has received financial or other assistance from the City of Los Angeles (City) or the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA).
The AcHP covers 730+ existing affordable rental housing developments built before April 2016 and all newly constructed or rehabilitated affordable housing built since then. These developments are referred to as Covered Housing Developments.
The AcHP will:
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Ensure that at least 4,000 units in the existing Covered Housing Developments meet federal and state accessibility requirements, and contain the required number of:
- Mobility Units designed for people who have mobility disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs.
- Hearing/Vision Units designed with features for people with hearing and vision disabilities;
- Ensure that all rental housing financed or assisted by the City or the CRA/LA meet all federal and state accessibility requirements.
- Require Covered Housing Developments to adopt and carry out nondiscriminatory property management policies;
- Provide training to property owners and management staff of Covered Housing Developments on required accessibility and non-discrimination laws, regulations, and policies;
- Provide a Grievance Procedure; and
- Develop an Accessible Housing Registry website that allows people with disabilities to identify accessible, affordable units in Covered Housing Developments, apply online to rent vacant units, be placed on waiting lists for those units (if the waiting list is open), and learn when vacant units are available.
The AcHP is administered by the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (HCIDLA) on behalf of the City.
Any and every attempt will be made to answer questions not answered on this page. You can always call or email the Accessible Housing Program at:
Phone: (213) 808-8550
Email: hcidla.achp@lacity.org
Website: AccessHousingLA.org
Inform them that CES units are only available to persons or families experiencing homelessness. If the person is homeless, ask them to contact a CES Access Center for the Service Planning Area (SPA) in which your property is located. You can find the SPA for your property in the Property Listing.
Housing advocates are able to register using their email, Google, or Facebook account.
Housing Advocates have the ability to add, remove, and maintain their clients information on their dashboard.
Housing Advocates are able to view all clients under their same organization by selecting “Tenant & Application” followed by “Find Application”. Housing Advocates should then select the “Client” tab to search using the client’s information. This will display all clients belonging to their organization.
Housing Advocates can locate the registry application of a client by using the search feature by selecting “Tenant & Application” followed by “Find Application”. Housing Advocates then select the “Application” tab to search for the registry application using the client’s information.
Housing Advocates are able to transfer a client by searching for the client’s registry application. Open the client’s registry application. In the registry application select the option “Transfer Client” in the top right hand corner and click confirm. If the client has not yet submitted an application then the client should be added using the “Add Client” feature on the Housing Advocate dashboard.
Applicants can use the same information from the previous application when applying through the Affordable and Accessible Housing Registry (AAHR). The AAHR will auto-populate the data on the application. Housing Advocates must apply to each property individually for their client. For properties containing the same property management contact information you must submit an individual application for each property on the registry.
The registry will show your application status. Following the lottery process the property management will update the application to list the applicants waitlist position number. The property management will reach out regarding the next steps in the application process.
For questions specific to the lottery process please contact the property directly. Applicants are able to apply to all properties but can only apply using the housing registry to covered housing developments if you meet the qualifications. Please contact the affordable housing properties directly to request an application.
- AAHR: Affordable and Accessible Housing Registry
- AcHP: Accessible Housing Program
- ADAAG: American Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines
- AHBP: Affordable Housing Bonus Program
- AHLF: Affordable Housing Linkage Fee
- AHTF: Affordable Housing Trust Fund
- AHUP: Accessible Housing Unit Plan
- AMI: Area Median Income (Affordability Level)
- APN: Assessor’s Parcel Number
- AU: Accessible Unit
- CDLAC: California Debt Limit Allocation Committee
- CES: Coordinated Entry System
- CHD: Covered Housing Development
- CofO: Certificate of Occupancy
- CSA: Court Settlement Agreement
- CTCAC: California Tax Credit Allocation Committee
- DFEH: Department of Fair Employment & Housing
- DV: Domestic Violence
- EHO: Equal Housing Opportunity
- FEHA: Fair Employment & Housing Act
- FHA: Federal Housing Administration
- FHAA: Fair Housing Amendment Acts
- FOIA: Freedom of Information Act
- HACLA: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
- HCIDLA: City of Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department
- HIMS: Housing Information Management System
- HOPWA: Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids
- HRM: Housing Registry Module
- HUD: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
- HVU: Hearing/Vision Accessibility Unit
- LAHSA: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
- LCM: Lehner, Catlin, Mohnke Architects
- LL: Landlord
- MCEP: Monitoring, Compliance, & Enforcement Plan
- MHSA: Mental Health Services Act
- MU: Mobility Unit
- NAC: Neutral Accessibility Consultant
- NoFA: Notice of Financing Availability
- NSP: Neighborhood Stabilization Program
- O: Property Owner
- PM: Property Manager
- PMP: Property Management Plan
- PRAC: Project Rental Assistance Contracts
- Prop HHH: Supportive Housing for homeless individuals or those at risk of homelessnes
- RA: Reasonable Accommodation
- RFP: Request for Proposal
- RFQ: Request for Quotation
- RM: Reasonable Modification
- SHLP: Supplemental Home Loan Program
- TCO: Temporary Contract of Occupancy
- TTY/TTD: Text-based telecommunications equipment for individuals with a hearing or speech disability
- UA: Universal Accessibility
- UAT: User Acceptance Training
- UFAS: Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards
- VA: Veterans Association
- VASH: Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
- VCA: Voluntary Compliance Agreement