The Los Angeles City Council approved a program on May 6 that will pay for a portion of trash pick-up debt for qualifying low-income Angelenos who were unable to pay bills in 2020-21 as a result of the pandemic.

“Although we are in a much better place now as a city, families are still hurting from the pandemic,” said Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, 6th District. “These funds are coming to Angelenos at a crucial time when so many communities are focused on finding financial stability.”

The approved report allocates funding to the Bureau of Sanitation to provide utility relief to residents who experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report from the city’s chief legislative analyst, 23,101 accounts with a total of $7.95 million in debt qualify for the newly allocated funds. The relief funds will be automatically applied to customers’ LADWP bills and will not require any action on customers’ behalf. The credit will be applied in late June or early July.

“Even as we put the worst of the pandemic behind us, many Angelenos continue to struggle financially,” said Council President Pro Tempore Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District. This latest round of assistance is a continuation of our COVID relief efforts – the strongest in the nation – furthering our work to protect and uplift Los Angeles’ most vulnerable households.”

Of the $10 million allocated on May 6, an initial transfer of $8 million will meet the needs of the qualifying low-income residents who accrued trash pickup debt from March 4, 2020, to June 15, 2021. The remaining $2 million will be used the following fiscal year, allowing the council to continue offering relief and cover debt accrued during the Omicron wave of the pandemic.

“We are grateful for the efforts by Council President Nury Martinez and the entire City Council for once again helping L.A.’s utility customers catch up on their overdue utility bills,” LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin Adams said. “We understand that many customers were hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and these funds will go a long way toward providing much needed relief to thousands of customers.”

In addition to funds allocated by the council, the city has received $59.7 million for utility relief to address sewage debts for 74,729 residential and 5,220 commercial customers. For information, visit ladwp.com.