LOS ANGELES (CNS)—Los Angeles-area assemblymembers urged the California State Assembly to pass a $5 billion rental relief program to prevent mass evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID is not going away any time soon and millions of Californians need rent relief now. We are facing economic devastation and unprecedented levels of unemployment,” said Assemblyman Miguel Santiago said in a statement. “Communities across California, especially low-income communities, are struggling to feed their kids, let alone pay their rent. This is an emergency and it’s absolutely necessary that we deliver rental assistance to avoid evictions and prevent a title wave of people from landing on the streets,” Santiago said. Hundreds of thousands of renters are at risk of losing their houses and apartments amid the pandemic once the local and state eviction moratoriums are lifted. Rent relief funding would provide an additional safety net to help prevent more people from becoming homeless, …