The Region : Certain Tenants to Get Relocation Aid

The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance providing up to $2,500 in relocation assistance to tenants forced to move from earthquake-vulnerable apartment buildings that have been targeted for demolition or removal from the rental-housing market. The council last month approved a six-month moratorium on evictions of renters from buildings undergoing renovation to comply with earthquake safety standards, but that measure provided no protection for tenants forced to move by landlords who opt to tear down their buildings rather than fix them. The ordinance, approved 12 to 0 and sent to Mayor Tom Bradley, requires landlords to pay $2,500 to tenants who are elderly, disabled or with children, and $1,000 to others forced to move from seismically unsafe buildings.