Where Can I Get Rent Assistance or Eviction Help in California?
These organisations help renters anywhere in California. Most are free. Each entry says what the group does, who it serves, and how to reach it. Your city may also have its own tenant groups: check your city's guide.
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LawHelpCA is the statewide finder for free legal aid. It lists legal aid offices near you. You may qualify for free help if your income is low. Website: www.lawhelpca.org.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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California Courts Self-Help Centers give free legal help to people without a lawyer. Staff can tell you about your case, help you with the forms you need, and explain your legal options. They cannot give legal advice or go to court for you. How much help you can get varies from court to court. Help can be in person, by phone, or online. Find your center at www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp.htm.
✓ Details checked September 22, 2026
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The California Attorney General's tenant page explains statewide rent caps, eviction rules, repairs, deposits, and lockouts in plain language. It has Know Your Rights guides in more than 20 languages. For help with your own case, it points you to free or low-cost legal aid at LawHelpCA.org. Website: oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/landlord-tenant-issues.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) takes housing discrimination complaints. It covers unfair treatment because of race, disability, family status, source of income (like a Section 8 voucher), immigration status, and more. You must file within 1 year of the act. It does not help with repairs, deposits, or evictions that are not about discrimination. Call 800-884-1684 or file online at calcivilrights.ca.gov.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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The state's official tenant guide is called California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities. The Department of Real Estate updates it every year. It is free, in English and Spanish, and covers leases, deposits, repairs, rent increases, and evictions. Download it at dre.ca.gov/publications/ResourceGuidebook.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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211 California is a free, confidential phone and web service for non-legal help. It refers you to rent payment help, emergency shelter, food, and utility bill help in your area. It serves people of all income levels and languages. Dial 211, text your zip code to 898211, or search at www.211ca.org.
✓ Details checked September 22, 2026
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LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) can make a one-time payment toward your heating or cooling bill, including when a shutoff is coming. You may qualify if your household income is low. The state Department of Community Services and Development runs it through local agencies. Call 866-675-6623 or find your local agency at www.csd.ca.gov/energybills.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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Disability Rights California gives free legal advice to people with disabilities. This includes housing problems, like a landlord refusing a reasonable accommodation (a change in rules so you can use your home). It helps people of any immigration status. It does not represent people in eviction cases. Call 800-776-5746, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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HUD-approved housing counselors give free or low-cost advice on paying rent, avoiding eviction, and finding housing programs. Anyone can use them. Call 800-569-4287 or search by zip code at www.hud.gov/findacounselor.
✓ Details checked September 12, 2026
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California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) is a free legal aid law firm for low-income people in California's rural counties. Housing is one of its help areas. Call 800-337-0690 or find an office at www.crla.org.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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Bay Area Legal Aid is one example of the regional legal aid offices LawHelpCA lists. It gives free civil legal help, including eviction defense, to low-income people. It serves Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Legal Advice Line: 800-551-5554.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is another example of a regional legal aid office. It serves Greater Los Angeles and handles eviction defense and tenant harassment (repeated pressure to make you move out). Most clients must have a low income under federal poverty guidelines; call to check if you qualify. Its self-help centers help anyone at any income. Call 800-399-4529, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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State Bar certified Lawyer Referral Services connect you with a private lawyer if you do not qualify for legal aid. The first meeting is free or at a reduced fee. Search by county, area of law, and language at www.calbar.ca.gov (Need Legal Help, Lawyer Referral Service).
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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The HCD Mobilehome Assistance Center is for people who rent a space or live in a mobilehome park. It takes complaints about unsafe park conditions (sewer, water, electric, gas) and gives referrals on park rent and lease disputes. It cannot give legal advice. Call 800-952-8356 or email MHAssistance@hcd.ca.gov.
✓ Details checked September 21, 2026
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