They helped me and guided me every step of the way. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without them.
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As a homeowner in Los Angeles, Lina wanted to help her community. She was particularly interested in supporting older adults due to her experiences with family. “I have elderly parents, and knowing what they go through—the struggle—I really wanted to make a difference.” When Lina first heard about the LA ADU Accelerator Program and how it provides affordable housing for older adults in the city, she thought, “What a wonderful idea. It’s extra income, and at the same time I’ll be helping someone out.”
While Lina was excited about the opportunity, she was also nervous about renting out her ADU through a government program. “I know people that have been through other rental programs and I always hear them say 'Oh my goodness, it's such a long and difficult process.'” Contrary to her expectations, Lina says the LA ADU Accelerator Program “was not difficult at all. They helped me and guided me every step of the way. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without them.”
After what Lina describes as a “very simple” application process came the tenant screening. She wanted to find someone with whom she was extremely comfortable, who she could trust and rely upon. “They told me from the get-go, 'It's whoever you choose, whoever you feel comfortable with.' They do background checks, they do all the screenings for you, there is nothing you have to do.” Lina simply spoke with each potential tenant until she found the perfect match.
Finding her current tenant Ira, Lina says, was “like a match made in heaven.”
The two have become extremely close and share a connection deeper than Lina expected. “I feel more like he's a family member now than a tenant. We have a great bond. We just kind of clicked.” Lina is also grateful for all of the people she has interacted with through the program, including her main contact at ONEGeneration, Veronica. “She's a gem. I was really impressed. She answered all my questions, she reviewed everything with me. If I emailed her, she responded immediately.”
Overall, Lina feels that she has achieved her goal of helping her community, and she wants others to do the same. “Anybody out there that is not familiar with the program: research, learn about it, ask questions. You will definitely, definitely not regret it. I'm so grateful that I made this choice and I am part of this program.”