More than 1,000 Angelenos have received eviction defense assistance through the We Are LA program at a new dedicated office in South Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass said Wednesday.
In June, The Mayor’s Fund, a nonprofit overseen by an independent board of directors, opened its first We Are LA casework office to help connect Angelenos who face or are at-risk of eviction with legal services and housing-related resources.
During a news conference Wednesday at the caseworker office, Bass and The Mayor’s Fund CEO Conway Collis highlighted the work being done at the site.
“Preventing people from falling into homelessness is key to our efforts in addressing this humanitarian crisis,” Bass said in a statement. “Results show that this program is working, and with a second consecutive decline in homelessness for the first time in recent history, we must continue this momentum.”
Launched in 2023, the We Are LA program serves as a way to intervene early and help families stay in their homes.
Eligible residents can participate in the program via the city’s FamilySource Centers, where staff and volunteers offer one-on-one personal case management, assist with applications, connect with legal aid, and overcome challenges such as language and technological barriers.
The nonproft aims to reach and help more people through its new casework office, located at 5440 Crenshaw Blvd.
“As part of Mayor Bass’ comprehensive homelessness plan, we want Angelenos to know they don’t have to face the threat of eviction alone,” Collis said in a statement. “Our knowledgeable and caring caseworkers are available to help in person or on the phone seven days a week.”
“We’ve helped thousands of people avoid eviction and stabilize their housing, and we will do everything we can to help you,” he added.
The program also assists veterans and foster youth secure and maintain housing.
City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson hailed the new We Are LA office, adding that the expansion of the program into the Crenshaw District in his Eighth Council District opens doors to “hope, resources and a future where every Angeleno has the chance to thrive.”
Serene Nunez, a client of We Are LA, shared her journey with the program.
“Life can shift in an instant,” Nunez said. “One day I was working in dentistry — steady paycheck, confident in my finances — and the next, I was facing something I never imagined: eviction.”
According to Nunez, the program helped her survive and navigate the process of finding housing.
“They walked me through every step — the paperwork, the deadlines, the confusing legal language — and they did it with such care that I knew I wasn’t walking through this alone,” Nunez added.
More information about We Are LA can be found by calling the program’s hotline at 213-584-1808 or visiting mayorsfundla.org.