With the moratorium on evictions coming to an end and as cities receive CDBG funds to help with the impact COVID-19 has had on housing, deciding on how to provide rental relief to residents is vital! Some of the rental relief programs recently implemented by cities can help provide ideas and examples on rental relief program options for your jurisdiction upon receipt of funding. One such example can be seen in the City of Anaheim.
With a budget of $3 million, the city of Anaheim is set to help an estimated 1,400 households with up to $2,100 per household through their rental relief program. Eligible program recipients will be able to use funding for back rent repayment, meeting current rent, or a combination of both. Anaheim has also set eligibility guidelines which include a requirement by applicants to show that they are Anaheim residents and have lost jobs or work hours due to the economic or health impacts of COVID-19. Cities looking to implement a similar program and guidelines could also specify reduced pay if hours have not changed in their eligibility requirements. Anaheim’s program also includes income and rent limits. Income and rent limits can differ based on the Area Median Income levels a city chooses to use in order to address the most households in need of the greatest assistance. The selection process for Anaheim’s program is on a first come, first serve basis until program funding has been expended.
CARES Act funding can be used by cities to fund activities, like those listed above, that are performed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through December 2020. If you are interested in learning more about how you can use funding to provide rental relief to residents in your jurisdiction, please contact RSG Senior Analyst, Rosa Romero, at [email protected] or Analyst, Alan Ale, at [email protected].