West Hollywood is Informing Landlords about the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program
WEST HOLLYWOOD – The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out about a recent announcement from Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) regarding the availability of $68,666,000 in grants to qualified landlords with property located within Los Angeles County, excluding the City of Los Angeles, through its Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program.
The City of West Hollywood is in Los Angeles County and this program will provide direct financial assistance to landlords to help them mitigate the detrimental economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that may result in tenants’ inability to stay current on rent.
Grant awards may be used to cover eligible expenses incurred from April 1, 2022 to present on a rolling basis. Eligible expenses include qualifying unpaid rental debt and any other substantiated related expenses, such as utilities.
While any eligible landlord can apply, those who meet specific criteria outlined on the County’s website will be prioritized.
For eligibility criteria, required documents, tips for applying, and instructions on how to complete and submit the application, please visit the LA County Rent Relief website at https://lacountyrentrelief.com.The City of West Hollywood’s Rent Stabilization Division provides resources, tools, and information for tenants and landlords in the City of West Hollywood.
For more information, please contact the Rent Stabilization Division at (323) 848-6450 or at [email protected].
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
West Hollywood to Host Rainbow Key Awards for 2023 Nominees
The City of West Hollywood and its LGBTQ+ Commission (formerly the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board) will host the City’s annual Rainbow Key Awards ceremony to recognize people and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ community.
This year’s Rainbow Key Awards, which will honor the nominees selected in 2023, will be held in person on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7 p.m. at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Additional information for this free event, including registration details, is available by visiting the City’s website at www.weho.org/rainbowkey. For those unable to attend, the event will also be live streamed and recorded for viewing on the City’s WeHoTV channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv.
Every year, the City’s LGBTQ+ Commission selects nominees from a public process. This year’s Rainbow Key Awards honorees, though held in 2024, will honor the 2023 nominees who were selected by the former LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. These honorees are:
- Bert Champagne, a volunteer in the community who has worked for AIDS Walk LA for more than 32 years, served as a Board Member of the California Lesbian Project, and has volunteered for more than three decades at Project Angel Food. Bert currently is the Vice President of Sheryl Lee Ralph’s DIVA Foundation and has been part of DIVAS Simply Singing for more than three decades.
- Nahshon Dion, a multi-talented artist, author, producer, and host of TRANSBRATIONS, a YouTube show.
- Reverend Stephen Pieters, a gay pastor in West Hollywood who became well-known for his extensive AIDS activism after his own AIDS diagnosis in the early 1980s. His soon-to-be-published memoir, Love is Greater than AIDS: A Memoir of Survival, Healing, and Hope, will chronicle his life story. Sadly, Rev. Pieters passed away in 2023, and this award will be presented to his family posthumously.
- Steven Reigns, West Hollywood’s inaugural Poet Laureate, whose writings focus on the gay experience and people with HIV. He has taught poetry workshops across the country to LGBTQ youth groups and people living with HIV.
- Brody Schaffer, a young, 8-year-old dancer who inspires other children to be themselves by fiercely dancing on his social media channels and other dance projects, including TV ads and Nickelodeon programming.
The City of West Hollywood has, since 1993, presented Rainbow Key Awards to people and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community, bestowing more than 170 awards since the event’s inception. Previous honorees have included activists, artists, civic leaders, educators, community organizations, and many others. Contributions, whether by an individual or a group, can be in many forms, including the arts, community action, humanitarian action, sports, medicine, armed services, leadership potential, benefit to the global LGBTQ+ community, and more.
Since its incorporation in 1984, the City of West Hollywood has become one of the most influential cities in the nation for its outspoken advocacy on LGBTQ+ issues. No other city of its size has had a more significant impact on the national public policy discourse on fairness and inclusiveness for LGBTQ+ people. More than 40 percent of residents in West Hollywood identify as LGBTQ+. The City has advocated for more than three decades for measures to support LGBTQ+ individuals and has been in the vanguard of efforts to gain and protect equality for all people on a state, national, and international level.
For additional information about the Rainbow Key Awards, please contact Moya Márquez at (323) 848-6574 or at [email protected] or visit www.weho.org/rainbowkey.
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
The City of West Hollywood invites the community to its annual city council reorganization and installation meeting and oath of office ceremony. John M. Erickson will become the next Mayor and Chelsea Lee Byers will become the next Vice Mayor.
The meeting and ceremony will take place on Tuesday, January 16, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the City’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. A reception will immediately follow at the adjacent West Hollywood Library on the second floor. The meeting, ceremony, and reception are free and open to the public. Limited validated parking will be available at the West Hollywood Park five-story structure.
The meeting and ceremony will be live-broadcast and streamed as part of the regular City Council meeting and will be available by tuning into Channel 10 on Spectrum within West Hollywood, by visiting the City of West Hollywood’s website at www.weho.org/wehotv, or by visiting the City’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv. In addition, City Council meetings can also be viewed on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku streaming platforms by searching “WeHoTV” within the search functions of these services.
At its regular meeting on Monday, December 18, 2023, the West Hollywood City Council voted on the selection of the City’s next Mayor and Vice Mayor and adopted a Resolution to change the Mayor Pro Tempore title to Vice Mayor as a local preference, moving forward.
West Hollywood City Councilmembers serve for a term of four years and are elected at large. The City Councilmembers annually select members to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore (now Vice Mayor); these positions rotate among the Councilmembers.
About Incoming Mayor John M. Erickson – John M. Erickson, current Mayor Pro Tempore, was elected to the West Hollywood City Council on November 3, 2020, with the commitment to uphold the city’s founding vision for a forward-thinking, diverse, and tolerant community.
Erickson first planted roots in West Hollywood in 2010 when he was selected to intern for the West Hollywood City Council. The internship set him on a path that connected his work for social and economic justice with his passion for public service. He went on to become Council Deputy to former Mayor Abbe Land and then served as a staff member at West Hollywood City Hall working to advance policies, initiate programs, and increase awareness around LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, the environment, and civic engagement.
After leaving City Hall, Erickson served as a Legislative Representative at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) and is currently the Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, and Marketing at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.
A past Vice Chair of the City’s Planning Commission, Erickson’s priorities on the City Council include overcoming COVID-19 through sensible health practices and economic recovery; creating more affordable housing and protecting renters’ rights; reducing traffic through alternative transportation strategies, fighting climate change and making our city more sustainable; and implementing policies that make the city truly free of prejudice and welcoming to all.
Erickson has earned a reputation as a fearless, tenacious, and effective voice for those who need one. His advocacy work includes serving as a National Board member of the National Organization for Women and President of the ACLU Southern California. In 2017, he became Governor Brown’s appointee to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and served as an organizer for both the Resist March and the historic Women’s March Los Angeles. He serves on the Board of the Women’s March Los Angeles Foundation. Mayor Pro Tempore Erickson was part of the End Statute of Limitation on Rape (ERSOL) Campaign, which overturned California’s statute of limitations on rape and sexual assault in 2016.
Erickson received his Ph.D. in American Religious History from Claremont Graduate University and a Dual-Master’s Degree from Claremont Graduate University. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a B.A. in English and Women’s Studies.
About Incoming Vice Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers – Chelsea Lee Byers, current Councilmember, was elected to the West Hollywood City Council on November 8, 2022.
Byers first became connected to the City of West Hollywood through the Women’s Leadership Conference. This connection led to many program partnerships with the City, including Women Manifest (2016), the Cannabis Education Forum (2015-2018), collaborative film screenings, panels, and more. While working with United Way’s Everyone In campaign, Byers engaged with City Social Services and Strategic Initiatives to bring educational programming to the community on homelessness and housing solutions. She currently works as Director of Programs and Partnership with Women’s Voices Now and is a core team member with Beautiful Trouble.
A past Vice Chair of the City’s Human Services Commission, Byers’ priorities on the City Council include social service delivery, climate-change mitigation strategies, and emergency resiliency efforts, creating more affordable housing and resources for renters; enhancing the streetscape for improved pedestrian and cycling experiences while reducing vehicle-dependency, and community building and policy implementation to ensure West Hollywood is an inclusive community for all.
Byers serves on the Board of Directors for National Women’s Political Caucus as the Vice President of Education and Training for NWPC California. She is a board member of Abundant Housing Los Angeles and President Emeritus of the Westside Young Democrats.
Byers has participated in a number of fellowships including the Housing Policy Leadership Institute, New Leaders Council, Art for LA Activate Program, National Council for Jewish Women’s Advocacy Program, and the James Lawson Institute.
Byers studied at Universidad Internacional Cuernavaca, Franklin University Switzerland and received her B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Northern Arizona University.
For more information, please call the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Offices at (323) 848-6460.
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
City of West Hollywood will Engage Community in Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with a School Beatification Volunteer Event and Virtual Donation Drive
The City of West Hollywood will continue its tradition of joining hundreds of communities across the country in a National Day of Service to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day federal holiday. On Saturday, January 13, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the City of West Hollywood encourages community members to participate in the West Hollywood Elementary Beautification Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event, located at 970 N. Hammond Street. West Hollywood residents, visitors, and community members are invited to take part in this Day of Service. Volunteers will perform various landscaping, clean-up, painting, and other beautifying tasks at the school.
Details are available on the City of West Hollywood’s Community Engagement and Volunteer Opportunities website page at www.weho.org/volunteer and there is a link to a registration volunteer portal on that page. Volunteers are requested to register in advance and must be 13 years of age or older to participate. All registered volunteers will receive confirmation and check-in details.
This year’s City of West Hollywood Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service will also include a two-week virtual donation drive to benefit the West Hollywood Homeless Initiative. It will run from Friday, January 12, 2024 through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Visit www.weho.org/vounteer for details; donations can be made directly online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/homeless.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day federal holiday was designated as a National Day of Service by Congress in 1994. Each year, the City of West Hollywood participates in this call to action. For more information about #MLKDay of Service activities and recognitions across the nation, please visit Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service | AmeriCorps.
For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event, please contact Larissa Fooks, the City of West Hollywood’s Community Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6413 or at [email protected].
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
City of West Hollywood is Reducing Speed Limits on N. Fairfax Avenue and on Fountain Avenue, West of Fairfax Avenue
The City of West Hollywood is in the process of reducing the speed limits on N. Fairfax Avenue and on Fountain Avenue, west of Fairfax Avenue from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour, based on the results of a recently conducted Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS).
New speed limit signage will be installed, and new speed limits will be enforced beginning in early 2024. Speed limits in California are governed by the California Vehicle Code (CVC), which states that an E&TS must justify the speed limit on all streets other than local streets if enforcement of the speed limit involves using radar or any other electronic device.
Within the City of West Hollywood, 24 street segments are not classified as local streets, and these streets require an E&TS to justify the posted speed limits. The City of West Hollywood recently retained a traffic engineering consulting firm to prepare a 2023 survey. The State of California guidelines for setting new speed limits, revising existing speed limits, and/or maintaining existing speed limits include the following items: prevailing speeds as determined by traffic engineering measurements; collision records for the most recent two years; and roadway, traffic, and roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver (i.e., pedestrian activities, bicycle routes, on-street parking, proximity of schools, land use adjacent to the roadway, etc.).
The survey results indicate that the posted speed limits for 22 of the 24 street segments that were evaluated will remain unchanged. The study indicates that the speed limit should be reduced on two street segments: N. Fairfax Avenue between the north and south City boundaries (at Fountain Avenue to the north and Willoughby Avenue to the south); and at Fountain Avenue between N. La Cienega Boulevard and N. Fairfax Avenue. To comply with State law, the posted speed limits on these two street segments will be reduced by 5 miles per hour, from 35 mph to 30 mph. These findings were approved by the West Hollywood City Council in adopting a Resolution at its regular City Council meeting on Monday, October 16, 2023.
For more information, please contact Richard Garland, City of West Hollywood Principal Traffic Engineer, at (323) 848-6457 or at [email protected].
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call the City of West Hollywood’s TTY line (323) 848-6496.
City of West Hollywood’s ‘2024 Winter Sounds’ Free Indoor Saturday Evening Concert Series Kicks off in January
The City of West Hollywood 2024 Winter Sounds Free Indoor Concert Series will take place on select Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. between Saturday, January 27, 2024 and Saturday, February 24, 2024 at The Sun Rose performance venue at Pendry West Hollywood, located at 8430 Sunset Boulevard. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concerts begin at 7 p.m. Early arrival is suggested.
The Concert Series will kick off on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 7 p.m. with three-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek. She reigns as one of the most creative voices of her generation, and one “who may well turn out to be the next important jazz singer” (LA Times). She has collaborated with jazz legends Fred Hersch, Billy Childs, Kurt Elling, and more, and has six critically acclaimed albums under her belt.
The next concert in the series will feature the gifted multi-instrumentalist Julius Rodriguez on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 7 p.m. Julius Rodriguez combines his jazz training with his passion for R&B, gospel, and hip-hop. He initially grabbed audiences’ attention touring with A$AP Rocky, Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter, as well as by working on projects with Meshell Ndegeocello, Kassa Overall, Brasstracks, and others. In 2022, he made his solo debut for Verve Records with the album Let Sound Tell All.
The Winter Sounds Concert Series finale on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 7 p.m. will feature keyboard maestro, vocalist, composer, producer, arranger, and astral traveler Brandon Coleman. A regular fixture with Babyface, Donald Glover, Flying Lotus, and Kamasi Washington, Coleman represents a new chapter in the evolution of jazz and funk fusion. Following the release of Resistance in 2018, Coleman embarked on a 30 city tour supporting Flying Lotus, laying his interplanetary grooves down for eager audiences.
The City of West Hollywood’s 2024 Winter Sounds Free Indoor Concert Series is organized by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Winter Sounds concerts are free and guests must be 21 years of age and older to attend. RSVP is recommended. RSVP does not guarantee admittance. Seating is first-come, first-served, limited to availability. Early arrival is suggested. $15 validated valet parking at the Pendry is available for attendees. Street parking may also be available, read local street signage. Rideshare is suggested. For additional information about the performers and to view the series, please visit www.weho.org/wintersounds
For more information about Winter Sounds please contact Joy Tribble, the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Specialist, at (323) 848-6360 or at [email protected].
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
City of West Hollywood Encourages Community to Weigh-In on Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Around Potential Metro Stations
Metro is studying the proposed Northern Extension of the Metro K Line, which would provide new rail connections to, from, and through West Hollywood, including up to three stations in the City.
The City of West Hollywood is complementing that effort by conducting a Rail Integration Study (RIS) to ensure that future rail service is thoughtfully integrated into the City while supporting sustainability goals and community expectations. The current phase of the study focuses on improving multimodal transportation and providing safe routes to and from planned stations to maximize access, ridership, and use of future stations in West Hollywood.
The City has audited a half-mile area around each potential station to explore potential pedestrian and wheeled access improvements. Now, the City is soliciting input from the community through its new Engage WeHo digital engagement tool to confirm those findings and share additional suggestions with the project team. The project team will evaluate community feedback and suggestions to inform a draft first/last mile plan, which will be presented to City advisory boards, commissions, and the City Council. The City will transmit the approved plan to Metro and incorporate it into future updates to the City’s Capital Improvement Plan and other mobility planning documents that guide future infrastructure investments.
The City invites residents, businesses, and frequent visitors to share their feedback and suggestions on Engage WeHo to inform the plan’s development. The survey is open now and will remain open through Wednesday, February 7, 2024. Participants can provide input through an online form on any of the three stations proposed in West Hollywood as well as the Citywide bicycle network. Interactive online maps are also available to allow participants to place suggestions for improvements directly on online maps. While Metro has not yet decided upon how many stations will serve West Hollywood, pedestrian and bicycle improvements identified for any of the proposed station areas may be relevant regardless of the final route Metro selects as the City continually works to improve safety and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Learn more and take part in the survey at engage.weho.org/metroFLM.For more information, please contact David Fenn, Senior Planner, at (323) 848-6335 or [email protected]. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
City of West Hollywood to Host a Screening of Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog Followed by a Conversation with Writer/Director Lynn Roth in Recognition of International Holocaust Day of Remembrance
The City of West Hollywood will host a film screening of Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog in recognition of International Holocaust Day of Remembrance. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the film’s writer and director Lynn Roth. This free event will take place on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 6 p.m. in the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. RSVP is requested at https://shepherdfilmscreening.splashthat.com.
Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog chronicles the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog, Kaleb, a beloved German Shepherd, during the 1930s in Germany. The film is based on the award-winning and bestselling novel The Jewish Dog by Asher Kravitz and tells the story largely from the dog’s perspective. The film was released both nationally and internationally and has been featured at many film festivals, including the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, where it won Best Feature Film.
Lynn Roth is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker. She also directed the award-winning feature film The Little Traitor based on famed Israeli novel Panther in the Basement by Amos Oz, which starred Alfred Molina. As well as serving as executive producer for the highly acclaimed series, The Paper Chase, Lynn has the distinction of being the first female showrunner for a dramatic television series.
The City of West Hollywood has a long history of commemorating victims of the Holocaust as part of recognition of a Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust, Yom HaShoah. Yom HaShoah is observed as the day of commemoration for the approximately six-million Jews and five million others who perished in the Holocaust because of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories. The City of West Hollywood is home to many Holocaust survivors and family members of Holocaust survivors.
In addition to Yom HaShoah, in November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated January 27 each year to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945.
In addition to recognition of International Holocaust Day of Remembrance, the City of West Hollywood regularly co-sponsors film screenings and discussions to bring awareness to human rights issues as part of its Human Rights Speakers Series, which encourages communities within West Hollywood and beyond to learn about and discuss human rights issues in a shared cultural and educational experience. For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/hrss.
For more information about this event, please contact Jennifer Del Toro, the City of West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor at (323) 848-6549 or at [email protected].
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
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For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.