Help is available 7 days a week. Call our Hotline today and let us assist you: 213-584-1808
Program Basics
We Are LA is the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles’ eviction prevention program, offering free eviction help in Los Angeles to renters facing housing instability. We connect tenants to legal aid, one-on-one case management, and emergency eviction help — including assistance responding to eviction notices so you don’t lose your right to fight in court. We Are LA also helps you access housing stability resources like food assistance, healthcare, and childcare to stretch your household budget and stay current on rent.
We provide free casework help to anyone who is financially vulnerable and is facing eviction in Los Angeles. We ensure you respond to your eviction notice within the required timeframe by helping you submit your unlawful detainer response and filing it with the court. We will refer you to every available resource, including attorney representation. You don’t have to navigate eviction alone.
We work to prevent homelessness by providing one-on-one casework and connecting tenants facing eviction to legal help, including unlawful detainer response, eviction defense help and benefits enrollment for individuals, families, seniors, and veterans.
Yes. Our caseworkers offer eviction help in Los Angeles. We help you file your unlawful detainer response and provide guidance on every step of the eviction lawsuit process in Los Angeles by providing eviction court help in any landlord tenant dispute.
We Are LA is an eviction prevention program from the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles. If you’ve received an eviction notice, we’ll help you respond to it and connect you to every resource available to help you stay in your home. That includes referrals to legal aid, plus help enrolling in benefits like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits. Our one-on-one case management is free of charge. Some resources we refer you to — including legal representation — which may require a showing of financial need.
Yes. While We Are LA caseworkers are not attorneys and do not provide legal advice or legal representation, they offer one-on-one support to help you understand the eviction process, complete your unlawful detainer response, and fill out applications. They also connect you to the right resources, including eviction defense help through the Eviction Defense Network. If eligible, they will then connect you directly to the Eviction Defense Network for legal representation.
Unlike a lawyer or legal aid organization, We Are LA caseworkers take a holistic approach, looking at your full situation to address the root causes of housing instability and connect you to financial and benefits support. They then connect eligible clients directly to free legal representation and guide you through how to fight eviction and to help you do so.
Eligibility and Location
Yes. You must be a tenant living in the City of Los Angeles and surrounding areas who is trying to stop eviction.
We Are LA casework services are available to any financially vulnerable LA tenant who has been served with an eviction lawsuit in Los Angeles. For legal representation through our partner Eviction Defense Network, tenants must generally earn at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for LA County. Other benefits you may qualify for — such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits — each have their own eligibility thresholds based on factors like household size and number of children. When you connect with us, our caseworkers will walk you through every option available to you individually.
Yes. Our eviction prevention program is open to all Angelenos regardless of immigration status.
No. You do not need a court case filed to seek assistance. If you have received any notice from your landlord — such as a 3-day notice to pay rent, a pay rent or quit notice, or a notice to vacate — contact us right away. The earlier you reach out, the more options may be available. We will connect you to resources and services to help you remain in your home and understand your tenant rights in Los Angeles.
Eviction and Court Process Questions
An unlawful detainer is the legal term for an eviction lawsuit in California. If a landlord files one against you in Los Angeles, you have 10 days to respond to protect your tenant rights. We can help you prepare your unlawful detainer response and file it in court — so you can fight your eviction. Whether you received a 3-day notice to pay rent, a notice to vacate, or have already been served, we provide eviction defense help for Los Angeles tenants, including eviction help for seniors and veterans.
Contact the We Are LA hotline immediately. The eviction timeline in California moves fast — you have 10 business days to respond to an unlawful detainer. Missing the deadline means losing your right to contest the eviction in court. Our caseworkers will prepare and file your unlawful detainer response on your behalf and walk you through the eviction court process every step of the way.
Ignoring an eviction notice means giving up your tenant rights and your chance to fight back through the eviction court process and losing your case automatically.
Yes — but you must act fast. Once a landlord files an unlawful detainer in California, you have 10 business days to respond. Filing your response is how you fight eviction and protect your tenant rights in Los Angeles. Contact the We Are LA hotline right away — we’ll help you navigate the eviction court process every step of the way.
A 3 day notice to pay rent or quit is a legal notice requiring you to either pay the rent owed, move out, or be prepared to fight the eviction. This notice itself is not an eviction order — it is a required first step a landlord must take before they can file an unlawful detainer lawsuit. If you receive one, you have three days to either pay the rent owed or move out. If you pay within that period, the landlord must accept your rent and cannot try to evict you.
As part of the eviction court process, both the landlord and the tenant will be heard by an eviction court judge. After hearing both sides, a judge will decide whether the landlord can proceed with the eviction lawsuit. Landlords typically come with attorneys — having someone in your corner for your eviction defense can make a critical difference in any landlord-tenant dispute. We Are LA can connect you to low income eviction help.
A landlord must go through the formal eviction court process before being able to legally remove you. Once served with an unlawful detainer, you have 10 days to respond. If you miss this deadline, you lose your right to fight the eviction. It is illegal for your landlord to try removing you by doing things such as shutting off utilities or changing the locks without a court order.
Services Provided
We Are LA provides eviction help for Los Angeles tenants by connecting households facing eviction with legal aid, help responding to unlawful detainers, and caseworker support. We also connect renters to Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and tax credits to help stabilize income — because eviction prevention in Los Angeles means addressing the whole picture. Whether you need emergency eviction help, assistance with an eviction notice in California, or just someone to help you understand your tenant rights in Los Angeles — We Are LA can help.
Yes. As part of our eviction prevention program, We Are LA caseworkers provide unlawful detainer help by preparing and filing your court response for you. It is critical that you contact us within the court’s 10-day deadline. If you do not respond in time, you may lose your tenant rights and your ability to fight the eviction in court.
Yes. We connect renters in Los Angeles to trusted legal partners who provide unlawful detainer help, defense preparation, and representation in eviction court as part of our eviction prevention program, We Are LA. Legal services may have income qualifications or eligibility limits, and our eviction prevention caseworkers work closely with each household to identify and pursue every available legal resource they may qualify for.
No. We do not provide ongoing rental assistance. However, through our free one-on-one casework support, we may be able to connect eligible tenants to financial assistance programs when funding is available. The focus of our eviction prevention program is to help tenants in Los Angeles respond to unlawful detainers by connecting them with legal aid, guidance, and housing stability resources that can help them stay housed.
Application and Process
Call our We Are LA eviction help hotline at 213-584-1808. Our caseworkers will guide you on what to do next. You must act quickly as the eviction timeline in California moves fast.
You will need to bring the unlawful detainer and ID for each person named in the eviction lawsuit. Call the We Are LA eviction help hotline at 213-584-1808 right away. The eviction timeline in California moves fast, and every day counts. Our caseworkers will guide you through exactly what to do next to protect your home and your tenant rights in Los Angeles.
We Are LA caseworkers will serve you under our eviction prevention program right away. The first step is to call our hotline at 213-584-1808.
Yes. Once you call our We Are LA eviction help hotline at 213-584-1808 or submit an intake form, a caseworker will follow up with you directly to guide you through the next steps. Because the eviction timeline in California moves fast, we encourage you to call us rather than wait — every day counts when it comes to protecting your tenant rights in Los Angeles.
Yes. We Are LA caseworkers will refer you to any eviction defense legal resource you may qualify for to represent you in eviction court so you don’t have to navigate the eviction court process alone.
All named tenants in the unlawful detainer must be present to apply. You will need your unlawful detainer complaint packet and a valid ID for each person named on the complaint. If a named tenant cannot be present, they must provide written consent authorizing another individual to apply on their behalf.
Limits and Expectations
No program can guarantee stopping an eviction in Los Angeles — but our eviction prevention program is designed to give you the strongest possible eviction defense. We provide fast unlawful detainer help, legal referrals, and dedicated caseworker support to protect your tenant rights in Los Angeles and help you fight back through the eviction court process.
Yes. While We Are LA does not provide legal representation directly, we connect eligible tenants to our legal partner, the Eviction Defense Network, for full eviction defense help — including defense preparation and representation in eviction court. Our caseworkers handle your unlawful detainer response and walk you through the process from start to finish. Legal services may have income limits requiring demonstrated financial vulnerability.
In some cases, our caseworkers may help guide communication in a landlord-tenant dispute. Formal negotiation and eviction defense help is handled through our legal partners, who are experienced in tenant rights in Los Angeles and the eviction court process.
We Are LA casework is free to moderate and low income Los Angeles residents. Our eviction prevention programs include preparing and filing unlawful detainer responses and connecting eligible tenants to legal partners for full eviction defense help in court. Our caseworkers also connect tenants to any additional resources and programs they may qualify for. Legal services may have income limits, but we work to ensure every tenant gets the best tenant legal help in Los Angeles available to them.
Yes. Our caseworkers primarily offer eviction help in Los Angeles in English and Spanish, we are also committed to ensuring all tenants can access eviction prevention support and understand their renters rights in Los Angeles, regardless of the language they speak.
Absolutely. We Are LA is committed to making our housing help in Los Angeles accessible to all tenants, including those with disabilities. Please let us know your needs when you call so we can best accommodate you.
Our eviction prevention services and tenant eviction help are available in person or over the phone. However you reach us, we’re ready to help you understand your tenant rights in Los Angeles and take action before the eviction timeline in California runs out.
At risk of Eviction? Call our Hotline 7 days a week for help: 213-584-1808
For a full list of legal terms and definitions, visit Eviction Defense Network’s Glossary of Terms.
See current LA County income limits here.
