Los Angeles County, home to roughly 10 million residents and 88 incorporated cities, is one of the largest recipients of federal housing assistance in the United States. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) channels hundreds of millions of dollars each year into the region through formula grants, competitive awards, and direct rental assistance. These funds support affordable housing construction, home rehabilitation, homelessness response, and neighborhood revitalization in both unincorporated LA County and individual cities such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, and Santa Monica.

HUD's Core Formula Grants in LA County

Most federal housing dollars flowing to LA County arrive through four long-standing HUD formula programs authorized by Congress: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA). Each is distributed annually to eligible jurisdictions based on population, poverty, and housing-need formulas.

The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), which serves unincorporated areas and participating smaller cities, administers CDBG and HOME funds for its service territory. The City of Los Angeles receives its own direct allocations through the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) and the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD). Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, and other entitlement cities similarly receive and administer their own HUD allocations.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

CDBG is HUD's most flexible funding tool. In LA County, CDBG dollars have historically paid for single-family home rehabilitation loans and grants for low-income homeowners, accessibility improvements for seniors and people with disabilities, code-enforcement in deteriorating neighborhoods, public infrastructure in low- and moderate-income census tracts, and small-business and public-service programs. Homeowners earning at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) are typically eligible for CDBG-funded home repair assistance offered through their city or through LACDA.

HOME Investment Partnerships Program

HOME is HUD's largest federal block grant dedicated exclusively to creating affordable housing for low-income households. In LA County, HOME funds help finance the construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental developments, provide tenant-based rental assistance, and support first-time homebuyer programs with down-payment and closing-cost assistance. LACDA, the City of Los Angeles, and other participating jurisdictions use HOME dollars in combination with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and local bond funds such as the City of LA's Proposition HHH and Measure ULA.

Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)

While not a grant in the traditional sense, the Housing Choice Voucher program is the single largest stream of federal housing aid to LA County residents. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and LACDA jointly administer tens of thousands of vouchers across the county, subsidizing rent for very low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Waiting lists for standard vouchers in LA County have historically been long and are often closed between lottery openings.

Continuum of Care and Homelessness Funding

LA County's homelessness response is coordinated by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), a joint powers authority created by the City and County of Los Angeles. LAHSA applies annually for HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) funds, which support permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and coordinated entry systems. These federal CoC dollars are layered with state funds (including Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grants) and local sources such as the City of LA's Measure ULA and County Measure H / Measure A revenues.

Choice Neighborhoods and Other Competitive Grants

Beyond formula awards, HUD runs competitive grant programs that LA County agencies periodically win. The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, successor to HOPE VI, funds the comprehensive redevelopment of distressed public housing and surrounding neighborhoods. HACLA has used Choice Neighborhoods planning and implementation grants to redevelop aging public housing sites such as Jordan Downs in Watts. HUD also offers competitive funds for lead-hazard reduction, healthy-homes work, Section 202 senior housing, and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities.

How Homeowners and Renters Can Access Help

Individual homeowners and renters do not apply directly to HUD for these grants. Instead, they work through local administering agencies:

Unincorporated LA County and participating cities: Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) — home-rehabilitation loans, first-time homebuyer programs, Section 8.
City of Los Angeles: Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) for housing programs; HACLA for public housing and vouchers.
City of Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Monica, and other entitlement cities: each city's housing or community development department.
Homelessness services: 211 LA County and LAHSA's Coordinated Entry System.

Applicants should expect to document income, residency, and in many cases ownership of the property. Most CDBG and HOME-funded homeowner programs are limited to households at or below 80 percent of AMI, with deeper subsidies reserved for very low-income households (at or below 50 percent of AMI).

A Federally-Funded Backbone for a Regional Housing System

HUD grants remain a core financial backbone of LA County's affordable housing and homelessness infrastructure, even as state and local measures have grown in recent years. Federal dollars, matched with Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity and local funds, continue to finance new affordable developments, preserve aging units, and rehabilitate homes owned by low-income families. For a county whose housing challenges remain among the most severe in the nation, HUD's urban-development toolkit continues to shape the pace and scale of the region's response.

Federal Housing Grants in LA County: HUD Programs for Urban Development