Hawthorne, CA
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BMO SmartProgress
BMO is a leading North American bank driven by a single purpose: to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. BMO offers short lessons to equip folks with the know-how to achieve their most significant financial goals and create a stable financial future for them and their family. To learn more, please visit the following website: BMO Smart Progress
- Understand the basics of some key financial concepts: Financial Foundations
- Learn how to be more financially prepared in the years ahead: Investing in Your Future
- Understand the financial basics of managing a small business: Small Business Essentials
- Understand how to better manage your money and avoid some common financial dangers: Building Financial Capability
- Explore tips for overcoming financial Crisis: Building Financial Resilience
- Learn what it takes for your small business to thrive: Growing Your Small Business
- Learn more about the responsibilities of caring for another person's financial well being: Financial Caregiving
- Explore the benefits and costs of buying and owning a home: Homeownership
- Learn what, when, why, and how you should prepare for an eventual retirement: Retirement Planning
- Learn about investing, the markets, diversification and risk: Investor Education
- Get your personalized playlist: Roadmap to Financial Strength
BMO SmartProgess for Students
"Now more than ever, its critical to equip students with the financial skills they need to navigate the world. As you prepare for your future, BMO is here to help you learn, prepare and grow with us and in life. Whether you want to learn more about saving, credit, banking or business, BMO is here to help you prepare to make real financial progress. Our banking experience is built with your knowledge, progress and goal achievement at the center." To learn more, please visit the following website: BMO Smart Progress for Students
California Mortgage Relief Program
If you’ve struggled with missed mortgage payments, late property taxes, loan deferrals, partial claims, or other homeowner financial hardships, you may qualify for assistance from the California Mortgage Relief Program. To learn more, please visit the following website: California Mortgage Relief Program
Phone: 1-866-311-9622
Hours: M-F, 8am-6pm
Email: info@camortgagerelief.org
City of Hawthorne Employment Opportunities:
Please follow the website to see current job openings at the City of Hawthorne:
City of Hawthorne - Employment Opportunities
South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers:
South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers are a cooperative partnership of business, employment development, education, training, local government, public as well as non-profit organizations, committed to developing job skills, abilities and attitudes essential for participation in today's workplace. Their goal is to provide a fully-integrated ONE-STOP workforce system that maximizes employment and economic opportunity in partnership with business and the South Bay community we serve (Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Lomita and Torrance). Click the following to learn more: South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Center
Additional Resources:
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Hawthorne Teen Center 3901 W. El Segundo Blvd. Phone: (310) 970 - 7001 |
South Bay Workforce Investment Board 11539 Hawthorne Blvd., 5th Floor |
Please visit the following PDF to view 1-Stop Brochure: South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers
Eviction Assistance
StayHousedLA provides information about tenant rights, tenant education workshops and clinics, and provides free legal services to eligible tenants facing eviction. To learn more, please visit the following website: Stay Housed LA
Links to Useful Resources:
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority mission is to "drive the collaborative strategic vision to create solutions for the crisis of homelessness grounded in compassion, equity, and inclusion." To learn more, please visit the following website: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
Services for:
Adults: Please call (800) 548-6047 or please visit the following website: Services for Adults
Seniors: Please call (800) 304-7152 or please visit the following website: Services for Seniors
Families: Please call 211 or please visit the following website: Services for Families
Youth: Please call (800) 548-6047 or please visit the following website: Services for Youth
Address: 707 Wilshire Blvd,10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Hotline: (213) 225-6581
Hours of Operation: M-F, 7:30am to 4:30pm
Harbor Interfaith Services
The mission of Harbor Interfaith Services is to empower the homeless and working poor to achieve self-sufficiency by providing support services including shelter, transitional housing, food, job placement, advocacy, childcare, education, and life-skills training. Click the following to learn more about their services: Harbor Interfaith Services
Frequently Asked Questions:
| Why was there an increase in homelessness this year? | The answer is in two parts: The homeless count, made by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), was better-conducted as opposed to 2015 when it became an annual count. This time, for example, it included homeless youth. But they only account for a small portion of the increase. The increase was mostly due to the tight housing market. The average rent in the county is $2,100, equal to half a year’s pay for the average low income workers. Hundreds of thousands can’t afford that amount. There is also a low rental vacancy rate. According to Zillow.com, the vacancy rate in the region was 4.3%, which is half the national average. |
| Why do I see so many homeless people around, especially in groups on sidewalks and in the parks? | There are two parts to this answer. The first is that there are more homeless on the streets because of the high cost of housing and the low vacancy rates. The second reason is vulnerability. The homeless are often victims of violence, which includes theft, beatings, and shootings. Recently, a homeless person was set on fire in the South Bay. The homeless feel safer in groups. |
| What is Harbor Interfaith Services doing to eliminate homeless from the streets? | It is our goal (and the County’s) to lift the poor to self-sufficiency and to place them in permanent housing. We’ve been doing that for 41 years. Last year, alone, we placed 426 people in housing and have seen success. Homelessness among veterans and families has dropped, for example. Harbor Interfaith Services works to end homelessness by providing support services including shelter, transitional housing, food, job placement, advocacy, childcare, education, and life-skills training. |
| Is Harbor Interfaith Services affiliated with a religion? | No. Harbor Interfaith Services is a nonprofit, secular institution. Some of our early founders included local churches, thus the name, but there is no religious affiliation. |
Location:
Harbor Interfaith Services
670 W. 9th St.
San Pedro, CA 90731
Phone: (310) 831-0603
Fax: (310) 831-0791
Homeowner Education
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administers programs that provide housing and community development assistance. To learn more, please visit the following website:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Links to Useful Resources: |
Contact Information: T: 202-708-1112 |
Fair Housing Foundation
Fair Housing Foundation provides a comprehensive, extensive and viable education and outreach program. The purpose of this program is to educate tenants, landlords, owners, Realtors and property management companies on fair housing laws; to promote media and consumer interest; and to secure grass roots involvement within communities. To learn more, please visit the following website: Fair Housing Foundation
Location Information:
| Servicing L.A. County 3605 Long Beach Blvd, Ste. 302 Long Beach, CA 90807 M-Th 8:00AM-5:00PM Fridays Available by Appointment |
Servicing Orange County 1855 W. Katella Ave., Ste355 Orange, CA 92867 M-Th: 8:00AM-5:00PM Fridays Available by Appointment |
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much can my landlord legally raise my rent?
Under California Law there is currently no maximum limit a landlord can raise the rent. As of January 1, 2001, your landlord must give you at least 30days’ advance notice if the rent increase is 10% (or less) of the rent charged at anytime during the 12 months before the rent increase takes effect. Your landlord must give you 60 days’ advance notice if the rent increase is greater than 10% (Civil Code Section 827b). Buildings under rent control in cities such as City of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, fall under different rules. For example, in Los Angeles, owners of buildings that fall under rent control can only raise the rent 3% per year. Landlords can raise the rent one additional percent (1%) for gas and/or one percent (1%) for electricity when the Landlord pays all the costs of either of these services for the tenant.
When can my landlord enter my rental unit?
California laws state (5) reasons a landlord is able to enter your unit.
a) In an emergency
b) When the tenant has moved out or had abandoned the rental unit
c) To make necessary or agreed-upon repairs, decorations, alterations, or other improvements
d) To show the rental unit to prospective tenants, buyers or lenders, or to provide entry to contractors or workers who are to perform work on the unit
Except in the first two situations above (emergencies or abandonment), the landlord must give the reasonable advance notice (verbally or in writing) before entering your unit. Effective January 1, 2003, landlords will be required to provide a written notice prior to entering a dwelling unit. (Civil Code Section 1954)
What is rent control?
Rent control ordinances limit or prohibit rent increase and notices to vacate tenancy. Some California cities have local ordinances but each community’s ordinance is different. As stated above, in the City of Los Angeles, rent increases are limited to a certain percentage each year. Also, some rent control ordinances allow landlords to evict tenants for “just cause”. This means the landlord must state and provide a valid reason for terminating a month-to-month tenancy. In California, the cities that have rent control are City of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Campbell, East Palo Alto, Fremont, Hayward, Los Gatos, Oakland, Palm Springs, San Francisco, San Jose and Thousand Oaks.
How do I know I have been a victim of housing discrimination?
Unlawful housing discrimination can take a variety of forms. Under California’s Fair Housing Employment and Housing Act, it is unlawful for a landlord, managing agent, real estate broker or salesperson to discriminate against any person because of the person’s race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. Basically, if you are being denied housing because of your personal characteristics you may be a victim of housing discrimination.
I have a policy of charging new tenants a security deposit equal to one month’s rent. If a tenant has children, I add $50 extra per child to the security deposit since kids usually cause more damage than normal. Is this legal?
No. A landlord cannot require a higher security deposit or damage deposit from people who have minor children than from people without minor children. According to the California Supreme Court in Wolfson and the Federal Fair Housing Laws amended in 1988, it is unlawful to set deposits based on the stereotype that children as a class cause more damage to property than others.
I recently found out that the on-site manager of the building I own has been harassing the female tenants. Am I legally liable for this?
Yes. As the owner of the building, you are legally responsible for the actions of your management personnel, maintenance staff and any other agents you employ. Under both federal and state fair housing laws, sexual harassment of tenants is illegal.
Housing Rights Center
The Housing Rights Center (HRC) is the nation's largest non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to securing and promoting Fair Housing. HRC was founded in 1968, the same year that Congress passed the Fair Housing Act. Our mission is to actively support and promote freedom of residence through education, advocacy, and litigation, to the end that all persons have the opportunity to secure the housing they desire and can afford, without regard to their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, familial status, marital status, disability, ancestry, age, source of income or other characteristics protected by law. To learn more, please visit the following website: Housing Rights Center
Hours: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, M-F
Email: info@housingrightscenter.org
Phone: 1-800-477-5977
TTY: 1-213-201-0867
FAX: 1-213-381-8555
Mediation
AAA Mediation.org is a division of the American Arbitration Association® (AAA®). The AAA is the global leader in the dispute resolution process continuum from conflict prevention to arbitration, uniquely positioned to offer excellence in mediation—before a case travels to more evaluative processes. To find a mediator, please visit the following website: AAA Mediation.org
AA Mediation.org enables you to identify a variety of mediation services to best meet your specific mediation needs. You can conduct a detailed, customized mediator search focusing on several areas of expertise, including disputes arising in the commercial, construction, labor, employment, international, judicial settlement, insurance, healthcare, environmental, governmental, community, family and mass claims arenas. AAA Mediation.org also offers technical support and customized programs to resolve high-volume, large-scale caseloads through mediation services. These services include disaster recovery, mortgage foreclosure, and similar mass claims. AAA Mediation.org also features innovative and cutting-edge mediation services such as the Florida Foreclosure program and Judicial Settlement Services, each indicative of AAA Mediation.org’s ability to design customized systems to meet unique conflict management needs.
Sec. 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
The housing choice voucher program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments. To learn more, please visit the following website: Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8.
The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects.
Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs). The PHAs receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program.
A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of the family's choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit may include the family's present residence. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety, as determined by the PHA.
A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.
City of Hawthorne Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Program
Please follow the website to view information regarding City of Hawthorne Housing Sec. 8 Program:
City of Hawthorne - HUD Housing
Housing Rights Center
If you have experienced housing discrimination because you receive Section 8 or other public assistance, contact the Housing Rights Center today. To learn more, please visit the following website: Housing Rights Center
Examples of Illegal Discrimination:
- An ad for housing says "No Section 8"
- A housing application says all tenants must have a full-time job
- Your current landlord says you will have to move out once you enroll in a voucher program
- You are charged a higher security deposit because part of your income is from Social Security
Veteran's Resources
Hawthorne’s mission is to support all Veterans within the Hawthorne community by identifying areas of need and provide assistance across various disciplines. To learn more, please visit the following website: