DCBA Celebrates 50 Years of Serving Los Angeles County

Starting The People’s Department: 1976 – 2008

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs was developed during the volatile 1970s when LA County was booming into the metropolis we know today. DCA was a small, forward-thinking, and progressive agency, built to lift the rights of working-class residents most vulnerable to fraud and ripoffs. Over our first few decades, determined leadership and the staff’s independent spirit – unseen in many government agencies – helped keep DCA afloat through economic ups and downs. Then, starting in the 1990s, several major investigations proved DCA to be a critical, essential service for LA County. We had earned the nickname “The People’s Department.”

Key Moments:

1976 – DCA Opens Doors to the Public April 15, 1976 – The Department of Consumer Affairs first opened to the public on April 15, 1976, under the leadership of newly appointed DCA Director Shirley Goldinger. Championed by Supervisor Ed Edelman, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors established the Department on July 1, 1975, to respond to consumer inquiries and complaints and provide mediation services between consumers and merchants.

1982 – Small Claims Advisor Program Starts – To provide free counseling and assistance to small claims court litigants and potential litigants.

1991 – Herrera becomes second DCBA director – Pastor Herrera Jr., a day-one employee at DCA, is sworn in as DCA’s second director.

1994 – DCA Investigators Help End Real Estate Scam – DCA investigation helps lead to criminal charges against real estate developer Marshall Redman, who defrauded nearly 2,500 Spanish-speaking buyers and left them stuck in unsafe Antelope Valley homes without water or electricity.

1996 – Real Estate Fraud Notification Program launches – DCA and the Registrar Recorder/County Clerk launch the Real Estate Fraud Notification Program to alert homeowners of recorded property changes and provide early warning of possible fraud.

2001 – Self-Help Legal Access Centers Begin Service – SHLACs provide free assistance from partner legal agencies so people can advocate for themselves in court.

2004 – DCA Leads the Way in Plain Language in Government – DCA leads County’s award-winning plain language initiatives creating clearer recorded messages and written documents for the public.

2005 – Investigation Helps Shut Down Predatory Diploma Mill – Operators of alleged diploma mill, which provided worthless diplomas to mainly Latino immigrants who paid hundreds of dollars to attend classes, agree to $500K settlement.

2005 – DCA Investigation Leads to $5M Award, Department Expansion – DCA receives $5 million cy-près award from a $37.5 million lawsuit against Rent-a-Center for failure to disclose the true cost of its rent-to-own program to California consumers. The funds helped pave the way for future expanded DCA services.

2008 – Settlement with Cookware Company Results in $1M Restitution – Lawsuit against Hy Cite/Royal Prestige cookware company for predatory tactics leads to settlement, including $1 million in restitution to consumers.

Entering an Expansion Era: 2012 – 2020

In the 2000s and 2010s, DCA entered a period of major expansion. County and Department leaders launched ambitious, pioneering initiatives, building award-winning teams to fight real estate and foreclosure fraud, prevent identity theft, and deliver extraordinary client service. The People’s Department grew from the Hall of Administration basement to include new branch locations across the County and full-scale programs supporting workers, landlords and tenants, cannabis entrepreneurs, low-income residents, and small businesses. With this expanded mission, the Department adopted a new name that reflected its broader role: the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.

2012 – Stiger Becomes Department’s Third Permanent Director – Brian J. Stiger, previously the director of the California Department of Consumer Affairs, is sworn in as DCA’s third permanent director.

2013 – Homeowner Notification Expands to Combat Foreclosures – A few years after DCA helped hundreds of homeowners save their homes during the foreclosure crisis, DCA and the Registrar-Recorder expanded the Homeowner Notification Program to include foreclosure-related documents help homeowners avoid fraud and keep their homes.

2015 – DCA Becomes DCBA – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passes a motion to add the County’s Office of Small Business to DCA and update the name of our department from the Department of Consumer Affairs to the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA). DCBA’s mission expands to help promote a fair marketplace by supporting consumers, businesses, and communities.

2016 – DCBA to Enforce New LA County Minimum Wage – The Board of Supervisors tasks DCBA with enforcing the new minimum wage in unincorporated Los Angeles County. DCBA’s new Wage Enforcement Unit promotes “Honest Work, Fair Pay” for workers while seeking compliance for small and large businesses.

2016 – DCBA Begins Center for Financial Empowerment – This two-year pilot program connected low-income residents with free income tax preparation services, low- and no-cost checking accounts, and financial literacy programs. CFE became a permanent DCBA program.

2017 – DCBA Launches Office of Immigrant Affairs – The Board of Supervisors tasks DCBA with starting the Office of Immigrant Affairs, creating a one-stop shop where millions of immigrants living in Los Angeles County could access support and services.

2018 – Nicchitta Becomes DCBA’s Fourth Permanent Director – Joseph M. Nicchitta, who previously held key positions in the County’s Chief Executive Office and County Counsel, is sworn in as department’s fourth permanent director.

2018 – Office of Cannabis Management Moves to DCBA – Director Nicchitta retained his role as the County’s Cannabis Management Officer and brought OCM from the CEO’s office to DCBA, leading the County’s efforts in implementing a regulatory program for commercial cannabis in unincorporated areas.

2018 – DCBA to Enforce New Temporary Rent Stabilization Ordinances – The Board of Supervisors implemented temporary rent stabilization ordinances for homes and mobilehomes in the unincorporated LA County. DCBA’s new Housing and Tenant Protections bureau was tasked with enforcing the new rules.

March 2020 – DCBA Responds During Pandemic – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DCBA services pivoted substantially. DCBA led the County’s Disaster Help Center, which provided daily information and support, and the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, which disbursed nearly $100 million in relief grants to consumers, businesses, and nonprofits.

September 2020 – Stay Housed LA County Launched to Combat Evictions – Later renamed to Stay Housed LA, DCBA leads LA County’s efforts, in a partnership with the City of Los Angeles, and local community and legal service providers, to provide information and resources to keep people in their homes

Building Our Dynamic Future: 2021 – 2026

Fifty years later, DCBA is now a dynamic, multifaceted hub serving consumers, workers, tenants, homeowners, and immigrants. From our new, modern headquarters at the Hall of Records, DCBA has critical responsibilities including programs to help people stay in their homes, establishing the framework of a legal cannabis industry, using stronger enforcement tools to protect workers’ rights, and helping to shape important legislation. We have expanded outreach with mobile services and department-run community centers. And still, after 50 years, DCBA remains the only standalone County consumer protection agency of its type, offering free, one-on-one service, and always standing up for the rights of everyone who calls LA County home.

January 2021 – Carbajal Becomes Fifth Permanent Director – Rafael Carbajal, previously DCBA’s Chief Deputy Director, is sworn in as the department’s fifth permanent director.

2021 – DCBA Investigation Leads to $10.5M Settlement Against Retailer – Extensive investigative work assisting the California Attorney General results in a $10.5 million settlement against Los Angeles-based retailer Curacao for unlawful practices that harmed primarily immigrant consumers.

2021 – Housing and Tenant Protections Unit Begins Rent Registry – DCBA launches an online service portal where property owners must register rental properties, update information about rental units, and pay annual fees.

2021 – Office of Labor Equity Expands Worker Protections – DCBA expands the Wage Enforcement Program into the new Office of Labor Equity, which enforces County worker protection ordinances supporting fair pay, health and safety, and combatting labor trafficking.

2022 – DCBA Launches $200M American Rescue Plan programs – DCBA operates 13 innovative American Rescue Plan projects worth over $200 million of funds to support tenants, community-based organizations, victims of domestic violence, families requiring estate planning services, and more.

2022 – Countywide Dispute Resolution Program moves to DCBA – DCBA, which has provided mediation services from day one, begins coordinating a network of dispute resolution programs, each offering alternatives to formal court proceedings.

2022: Office of Immigrant Affairs Supports Immigration Legal Services – OIA, in addition to its critical work supporting groups including domestic workers and unaccompanied children, takes on the role of County administrator for RepresentLA, a first-of-its-kind, public-private regional program to provide immigration legal services.

2023 – Wage Theft Investigation Leads to $667K Settlement – Following a DCBA investigation, the operators of two Wingstop restaurant locations agree to a settlement of more than $667,000 for alleged wage theft violations against essential restaurant workers from 2017 to 2021, during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023 – DCBA Begins Community Center Operations – DCBA runs the South Whittier Community Resource Center, which offers community, health and education services. Then, on January 1, 2025, DCBA takes over the Altadena Community Center, which was damaged in the Eaton Fire, but partially reopened later to provide recovery support.

2025 – Household Relief Grant Boosts Palisades & Eaton Fire Survivors – DCBA operates the LA County Household Relief Grant which provides nearly 3,500 grants totaling over $31 million to help people and families affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

2026 – Building LA County’s Financial Safety Net – In April 2026, Los Angeles County is still recovering from pandemic and fires. Now, increased federal immigration actions have disrupted communities while inflation and international conflicts have sent the costs soaring. The Board of Supervisors has turned to DCBA to lead critical, temporary emergency rent relief programs to support residents with direct financial help. First, in 2023 and 2024, the DCBA-run COVID-19 Rent Relief Program distributed $81 million to forgive rental debt. Then, in 2026, the Emergency Rent Relief Program began distributing more than $23 million in rental and mortgage relief to those affected by the fires or federal actions. DCBA’s proven success is paving the way toward permanent emergency financial relief programs which will be a focal point as we begin our next half-century of service.