Sacramento now has a $96 million fund to help struggling renters, landlords. How to apply
As part of a national effort to save low-income renters from eviction, Sacramento city and county officials on Thursday will make nearly $100 million in free rent assistance grants available to help pay for past-due rent and utility bills during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sacramento Emergency Rental Assistance program taps federal and state funds to help renters in Sacramento County who are financially under water. Both renters and landlords can apply for funds to cover a portion of rents owed back to April of last year, and rents that will come due between now and June of this year.
The fund has nearly $96 million in it, $31.7 million of it via the city of Sacramento from its federal and state grants, and $64 million from the County of Sacramento via federal and state grants.
The fund is similar to but much larger than a previous rent subsidy program last fall for Sacramentans who lost jobs or had their paychecks reduced due to economic shutdowns. The previous program offered $6.5 million in limited subsidies to some 1,230 low-income Sacramento families and about 780 landlords.
Sarah O’Daniel of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency called it the largest emergency rental aide program ever in Sacramento. She said the new program can be used to help fill rent gaps for 10,000 to 15,000 families in the county.
“We’re very glad to have this, to be able to keep a roof over the the heads of our families, instead of facing eviction later this year,” O’Daniel said.
Renters and landlords can apply for grants starting Thursday. The application period will close March 19. Information on the program, including application information, is posted in five languages at www.shra.org/sera
Housing officials warn they may have more applicants than available funds. Very low-income families will be prioritized.
To qualify, a household must have a current gross income at or below 80% of the Sacramento “area median income.” For a single person, that is $48,350 a year. For a family of four, that is $69,050.
Also, that household must have someone on unemployment, or who can show it has suffered financial hardship as a result of the pandemic and is at risk of losing housing.
Priority will be given to households who earn 50% of the area median income or less, those who have been unemployed for 90 days prior to the application date and to those who owe rent arrears. For a family of three, that amount is below $38,850.
Landlords can apply for grants as well to compensate for up to 80% of unpaid rents. Those landlords must agree to accept the grant funds as payment in full for the landlord’s renters. That would mean the landlord would be forgiving his or her renters the remaining 20%.
If a landlord declines to participate, renters who apply for grants will be offered an amount equal to 25% of what they owe, which is the amount required of renters to maintain eviction protection during the pandemic.
The state of California has put in place an eviction moratorium until June 30, 2021. The state Legislative Analyst estimates that Californians owe $400 million in back in back rent.
Rents have been going up in Sacramento during the pandemic, putting pressure on officials to find other mechanisms to create better affordability.
California, Yolo, Placer programs
California has its own renter and landlord assistance and information on its covid19.ca.gov website.
Yolo County offers rental assistance as well. For information, go to www.ych.ca.gov/Covid-19/English.php and the county provides eviction protection services at www.yolocounty.org/Home/Components/News/News/12434/3404?npage=2
Placer County plans to roll out a similar rent subsidy program in March. Meantime, the county has a smaller, ongoing tenant-based rental assistance program on the www.placer.ca.gov website rental assistance page.