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Mayor London Breed Broadcasts San Francisco To Distribute $90 Million In Lease Aid

May 24, 2021

The city’s new Emergency Rental Assistance program, funded by the US Treasury Department, kicks off May 28 and supports vulnerable tenants in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA. – Mayor of London N. Breed announced today that the city’s new emergency relief program will begin accepting applications on Friday May 28th. The city’s program is designed to keep tenants in their homes by taking advantage of existing evacuation protection and maximizing potential rental support.

The San Francisco Local Program can provide up to six months of rental assistance, including three months of future rent. The local program will prioritize the most vulnerable tenants using an evidence-based screening tool that takes a number of factors into account, such as: B. Past homelessness and extremely low household income. The San Francisco program complements the state rental assistance program, which provides rental assistance for unpaid rents for the period April 2020 through March 2021.

“This has been a year of challenges that we have not faced before, and the economic consequences of the pandemic have been devastating for so many businesses and employees. This rent relief is critical to helping tenants and small home owners get back on their feet come as we continue our economic recovery, “said Mayor Breed. “It is absolutely critical that we keep people in their homes and this funding will help make that happen.”

The new rental assistance program begins with a $ 26.2 million allocation from the US Treasury Department, which will be complemented later this year with another round of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan. The federal government has allocated over $ 90 million to tenants and landlords of San Francisco for rental assistance, with a total of over $ 60 million allocated to this new rental assistance program in two rounds of funding. The remaining $ 30 million provided by the federal government is earmarked for San Franciscans directed to the state of California.

“As part of the historic American rescue plan, thousands of struggling San Franciscans are receiving urgently needed emergency aid,” said spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi. “By expanding and expanding the critical emergency rental assistance program, Democratic Congress and the Biden-Harris administration are ensuring that families in difficulty continue to have a safe place to live during the pandemic. As House Speaker, I will continue to hand Working hand-in-hand with Mayor Breed to ensure that all Franciscans have access to safe and affordable housing in our vibrant city. “

“San Francisco’s rent relief program will play a big role in keeping families safe in their homes,” said Congregation member David Chiu. “However, these programs are only good if the public uses them. I encourage all tenants who may be struggling with unpaid rent to apply for this assistance as soon as possible.”

The city works to ensure that as many residents as possible who need help receive support. However, requests are prioritized by households that are most vulnerable to being left unhoused due to certain economic and social factors.

In order for a tenant to apply, they must be eligible for unemployment benefits or have experienced a decrease in household income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They must also be at risk of homelessness or residential instability and have a household income of 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). These limits are currently $ 102,450 for an individual and $ 146,350 for a family of four. However, the local program will prioritize very low (50% AMI) and extremely low income (30% AMI) applicants. Applicants over 80% AMI are not eligible for rental support from the city or state programs.

The Mayor’s Housing and Community Development Office is leading the implementation of the new rental assistance program in close partnership with a network of BIPOC-led, San Francisco-based, culturally competent, community-based organizations. The city’s rent assistance program is part of a regional homelessness prevention initiative led by All Home. The low-barrier multilingual application is verified using an evidence-based tool developed in consultation with local and national experts, including the UCSF School of Medicine Center for Vulnerable Populations, to ensure that the most vulnerable tenants are supported.

“We know that rental assistance is critical to many of the city’s low-income residents and the foundation for promoting the city’s equitable recreational goals,” said MOHCD Director Eric Shaw. “The city continues to strive to help as many residents as possible with the additional millions.” of dollars provided by the federal government. “

Starting today, renters wishing to apply can register at sf.gov/renthelp to familiarize themselves with the program requirements before the application begins on May 28th. Applications are accepted continuously. Applicants are required to provide documentation to verify identity, income, financial impact of COVID-19, and unpaid rent. Because the program is aimed at the most vulnerable renters, rental assistance will not be first-come, first-served. The city encourages tenants to apply online themselves if they are able to. If tenants need help filling out an application, a network of community-based partners is available to them. You can find these community-based partners at sf.gov/renthelp, by phone at 311, or at www.sfadc.org.

“During this crisis, tenants have demanded that recreation be accessible and equitable. It is important that we continue to work in partnership to prevent mass displacement and ensure access to stabilizing resources,” said Diana Flores, director of Community Engagement and Organizing Programs at Dolores Street Community Services, a member of the San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition. “The local program is an opportunity to get it right. We hope that by developing a low-barrier application process we can respond to and adapt to those most in need.”

“The SFAA is excited to work with the Mayor’s Office on this important initiative to help implement the San Francisco rental assistance program. The COVID-19 pandemic was for vulnerable tenants and home owners struggling with missed rents and deferred mortgages incredibly difficult. Now that local rental assistance is available, it is critical that housing providers and their tenants in underserved communities have quick and easy access and control of the program, “said Charley Goss, Government and Community Affairs Manager of the San Francisco Apartment Association. “SFAA’s partnership with MOHCD and extensive collaboration with the community of owners will help ensure that the program is effective and efficient, helping the tenants and housing providers who need it most.”

“The Native American Health Center is honored to be a leading partner in this important program,” said Natalie Aguilera, chief administrative officer of the Native American Health Center. “COVID-19 has exacerbated the inequalities our customers face, and the pandemic has disproportionately hit local communities across the country and here in the Bay Area. The San Francisco-based model of the rental assistance program will enable us to deliver our Most directly to support families in need and keep them in their homes. “

“We are excited to work with the City of San Francisco to support this very important emergency rental assistance program and provide funding to our most vulnerable households,” said Dion-Jay Brookter, Executive Director of Young Community Developers (YCD). “Assisting residents with access to funds to secure a basic need – safe and sustainable housing – is critical to the purpose of YCD and, most importantly, to enriching the communities we serve.”

“The collaborative vendors have prepared to pay out these funds and are keen to get them to the neediest residents of San Francisco,” said Martina I. Cucullu Lim, executive director of the Collaboration for Evacuation Defense. “We applaud MOHCD and the leadership that has shown how this program can be up and running in such a short amount of time. This is a concrete step towards eliminating the racial inequalities exacerbated and undeniably exposed by COVID.”

This news release was prepared by the office of the Mayor of San Francisco. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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