LCCR's Transformative Impact with American Rescue Plan Funding
The American Rescue Plan, signed into law on March 2021, provided $350 billion in funding for state and local governments to build an equitable economic recovery from the devastating economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. LCCR was one of three mediation centers in Los Angeles County to receive ARP funding and with this new grant LCCR was able to bring on additional staff this 2023-24 academic year: Cynthia Campoy Brophy, Patricia Ortega 24' and Stephanie Schestag '13.
During its inaugural year of funding, LCCR assisted approximately 400 participants in resolving over 100 cases. In one case, LCCR was able to assist a landlord and tenant to negotiate a fair and sustainable rent increase and encourage healthy communication between the two parties going forward. In another matter, LCCR facilitated a sizeable settlement regarding habitability issues between a long-term tenant and his landlord. Another successful mediation was held between members of a community non-profit with respect to issues that had arisen prior to COVID-19 but had been left to fester during the pandemic until the members were able to come together for a face-to- face mediation this year. The participants came to LCCR with strong emotions (anger, frustration, sadness), lots of misunderstandings, and an inability to move beyond their hurt. Within a few hours, the mediators assisted the participants in gaining new understandings, provide reciprocal apologies, repair their strained relationships, and leave the mediation with a hopeful future.