LOS ANGELES — It’s been a long time since Adela Peñabla has gotten a good night’s sleep.

"My body starts to shake and I have depression,” she said.

An immigrant from El Salvador, Peñabla moved to Southern California 18 years ago, making a living as a street vendor. She’s been renting a tiny room in house in South L.A., where she cooks her meals in a make shift kitchen, using bottled water in lieu of a sink.

She’s been able to make just enough to cover her $370 a month rent, until the pandemic hit and her income dried up overnight.

“With the pandemic I haven’t been able to go out and sell my toys or clothes,” she said.

Now she’s five months behind on her rent with no way of to make it up. Her landlord, she said, has been pressuring her to leave. But she’s been able to hold on thanks to an eviction moratorium.

It’s been so stressful — she often leaves the house for hours on end just to avoid a confrontation with the owner.

But these days, Peñabla may have a reason to smile. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city’s second round of rent relief totaling $259 million to help tenants hit hardest by the pandemic. To qualify, people must earn 50% or less of the area’s median income.

For Peñabla, the news was nothing short of a miracle. With the help of a non-profit group called The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, she plans to apply as soon as possible.

“I have hope now,” she said.  

Now she can finally breathe a little easier and hopefully get a good night’s sleep.