The county of San Diego is now accepting applications for their Emergency Rental Assistance program, ERAP, for eligible households who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and need assistance with rent and utilities.
The program is administered by county officials but funded by an estimated $52.5 million in state funding and $49 million in funding from the federal government.
The rental assistance program serves residents in the unincorporated areas of San Diego county and most smaller cities within the county including Alpine and the Back Country.
San Diego County Health and Human Services Director of Housing and Community Development David Estrella said the goal of the program is to prevent evictions and housing instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The County’s Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance Program will assist eligible low-income renters countywide, including the community of Alpine and the backcountry areas, who have been impacted by the pandemic,” Estrella said.
To qualify for the program, the combined income of all persons in a household must fall at or below 80% Area Median Income. A chart of those totals can be found at www.sandiegocounty.gov on the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program information page, as well as a list of qualifying cities.
Initial priority will be given to families with a household income at or below 50% of the area median income where one or more household members are unemployed at the time of application and have not been employed for 90 days prior to that date.
Secondary priority will be given to single-parent households in areas that are considered lower on the Healthy Places Index, which can be found at www.healthyplaces.org
In addition to benefiting some county residents, the program offers incentives to landlords who are willing to reduce the total amount of past-due rent. The County will compensate 80% of an eligible household’s rental arrears accumulated from April 2020 to March 2021 if a landlord agrees to accept the 80% payment as payment in full of the rental debt owed by the tenant. Past due rent will be paid directly to those landlords who agree to forgive the remaining debt.
Only one application per residence will be permitted.
Tenants and landlords can find more information and apply now for the program at www.SDHCD.org, Estrella said.
