Fact Sheet

About HACLA
 

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) is a state-chartered public agency. It provides the largest stock of affordable housing in Los Angeles and is one of the nation's leading public housing authorities. It is also one of the oldest, providing quality housing options and supportive services to the citizens of Los Angeles since 1938.

 
HACLA's annual budget is more than $ 1 billion. Its funds come from five main sources: HUD's annual operating subsidy, HUD's annual Capital Fund, Section 8 administrative fees, rent from public housing residents plus other program and capital grants from various sources. HACLA continues to explore alternative funding sources and has built numerous key partnerships with City and State agencies, nonprofit foundations, community-based organizations and private developers.

HACLA will preserve its existing affordable housing supply of 75,400 units and spearhead a collaborative effort to increase the supply of affordable housing in LA by 30,000 units within the next 10 years.

HACLA will collaborate with residents and public, non-profit and private entities to create viable, healthy communities and to empower able residents to achieve financial independence. We will achieve the above while maintaining strong internal controls, developing and maintaining a strong culture of mutual respect, fiscal responsibility, and ethical behavior by our employees, residents and other key stakeholders.


More Than Just a Place to Live

 
HACLA provides more than a place to live. It offers a range of programs specifically for low income, homeless, disabled, children and seniors such as: Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS), Homeless Program, Homeownership Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA), Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Mainstream - Housing Opportunities for Person with Disabilities, Moderate rehabilitation, Shelter Plus Care Program, Moderate Rehab for Single Room Occupancy.
 


HACLA Today

 
HACLA owns and manages a citywide portfolio of approximately 9,300 units and administers monthly housing assistance payments for more than 100,000 family members throughout Los Angeles.

Conventional Public Housing:
  • Large Pulic Housing Developments managed by HACLA 6,528 units
  • Serving about 22,000 residents 
Section 8:
  • Approximately 47,000 vouchers

         Special programs

  • Shelter Plus Care: 2,501 allocated units
  • HOPWA: 234 allocated units
  • Moderate Rehab (including SRO): 1,370 allocated units
  • New Construction: 1,897
  • VASH: 1,345
  • Section 8 Homeless Program: 4011
  • Project Based Voucher: 1,251

Asset Management

Servicing 2,491 units in a 93 property portfolio


For the Record
 
Nickerson Gardens is the largest family large public housing development in Los Angeles with 1,066 units.
 
As of 2009: 40% (8 developments) of the family large public housing developments are 67 years old, 40% (8 developments) are 54 to 56 years old and the remaining 20% are 9 years old or less

How Affordable is Public Housing?
(as of March 2009)

  • Families in the Conventional and Section 8 programs pay no more than 30% of their family income for rent HUD subsidies make up the difference
  • Average family monthly income in Conventional Public Housing is $1,603.58 ($19,242.77 annually)
  • Average monthly rent is $394.08
  • 61.3% of resident income is from wages
  • 9.9% of resident income is from public assistance
  • 28.7% of resident income is from social security, SSI, pension, veteran's benefits, etc.
  • 45.6% of residents are 17 and under, 46.6% of residents are 18 - 60 and 7.8% of residents are 61 years-of-age and over

The Waiting List for Public Housing
As of May 2010, there are 18,767 families on the housing wait list. Broken down by bedroom size:

  • 1 bedroom -  11,238
  • 2 bedroom - 4,232
  • 3 bedroom - 2,978
  • 4 bedroom - 313
  • 5 bedroom - 6 


The Need for Affordable Housing:

Estimated LA City households in need of affordable housing:

  • Over 40% (515,000 households) extremely low to low income (<50% AMI)
  • Nearly 15% (181,751 households) working poor (>50% to 80% AMI)
  • Nearly 16% (211,801 households) moderate income (>80% to 120% AMI)

Estimated LA County households in need of affordable housing:

  • Under half of households (49%) in LA County live in units they own
  • Income over $144,000 necessary to afford the median price home in LA County
  • Over half of households (53%) in LA County pay more than 30% of their income toward rent

Expected LA housing unit needs from 2006-2014:

  • SCAG estimates the City will need about 114,000 housing units, ranging from very low to above moderate household income
  • About 45,000 units are needed for very low income to low income households

(Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, HUD User, LAEDC 2007 LA Facts)


Existing Affordable Housing Supply in LA City:

HACLA is currently responsible for nearly 73% or 75,400 of LA's approximately 103,170 affordable housing units (excluding rent control units), however total available supply is well below current market needs according to public records.

  • 50,669 units are Section 8 Vouchers administered by HACLA (HCV, PBV, S+C)
  • 6,528 units are Public Housing owned and managed by HACLA
  • 2,491 units are HACLA owned mixed income housing
  • 15,000 units are LA LOMOD through HACLA (Section 8 Project-Based administrator)

(Source: LA City and US Census 2007)

 

Last Updated: December 2011