What happens to tenants?
For tenants, the end of LIHTC affordability can be a nightmare. Marina Maalouf, who has lived in a LIHTC apartment in Los Angeles for over 20 years, saw her rent jump from $1,100 to $2,660 when the affordability agreement expired.
Like many other low-income tenants, this steep rent increase was far beyond what Maalouf and her family could afford. The sudden hike triggered protests, a rent strike, and multiple eviction filings against tenants, including Maalouf.
“We still here. We still here,” Maalouf told The Associated Press, recounting how she faces the daily fear of eviction.
But funding is tight, and states that have not yet extended affordability protections are at greater risk of losing units.
The City of Los Angeles has offered $15 million to the landlord to extend the affordability of the building through 2034, but the deal won’t stop the 30 eviction cases still pending, nor will it erase the $25,000 in back rent that Maalouf owes.
Source: mpamag.com