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More Changes for COVID-Related Rental Assistance

The County has aimed to speed up the assessment process and offer more transparency to the rental assistance work that has been underway since the initiation of the program in February 2021. Effective March 15, the County will close the waitlist for new applications to align with the State of California plan to close the state portal and prioritize applicants with incomes below 30% of Marin’s median household income and those who went the longest with unpaid rent. (Thirty percent of the median household income in Marin is $38,400 for individuals, $43,850 for households of two, $49,350 for three, and $54,800 for four.)

Published

3 years ago

March 19, 2022

Oakland Post

With new agreements to assist with distribution of rental allocations, more Marin residents who have struggled financially because of the pandemic will receive the help they need. (County of Los Angeles file photo).

Supervisors approve agreements to improve financial allocation process

Courtesy of Marin County

Through February, the County of Marin had assisted 1,335 unique households by channeling federal and state funds into the hands of local tenants on the verge of eviction because of the COVID-19 pandemic and to landlords who experienced sudden income losses. In total, the County has paid out $21,549,174 in pandemic rental assistance.

Now, emergency aid will be distributed faster as the County increases staffing and improves the review process. It is adopting a software platform used by the State of California to distribute the remaining rental relief funds. On March 8, the Board of Supervisors approved agreements with two companies to assist with distribution of rental allocations in an efficient and compliant manner.

The County is entering into a $123,846 agreement with Neighborly Software for its subscription fee and data migration services and a $347,500 agreement with LiveStories to provide staffing for application intake and case management. The two firms will help the County administer its available balance of $11,636,249 earmarked to prevent evictions and homelessness related to COVID-19.

Since December, the County has distributed an average of $1.4 million in rental assistance per month. LiveStories has distributed more than $73 million in rental assistance funds in other jurisdictions. “The LiveStories team of trained and knowledgeable staff will augment the current rental assistance staff to distribute an additional $2 million per month in rent relief,” said Hyacinth Hinojosa, Deputy County Administrator.

The program has established multiple levels of review to ensure that applications meet eligibility criteria and the funds are spent to support the most vulnerable populations with the lowest income levels and those at risk of housing instability. The average time to approve a case once it reaches the final stage of review has been 30 to 60 days.

“We recognize that those most in need of pandemic related rental assistance are often those for whom barriers to access such a program are the highest,” Hinojosa said. “We work with our community partners to conduct outreach to those that need assistance with their applications including low income and non-English speaking populations.”

Clearing accumulated tenant debt is designed to provide a lifeline to the hardest-hit families and provide income stability for landlords. Landlords have legal freedom to pursue deferred unpaid rent, although state law requires landlords to demonstrate that they have applied for rental assistance and been denied. Once applicants living at 30% or below the county’s median income are served, staff will work to assist those living at 50% or below the median.

Since the end of the statewide eviction moratorium last fall, County staff has worked with nonprofit community partners to assure an equitable distribution of funds earmarked for eviction prevention during the pandemic. Several local agencies, such as Adopt A Family of Marin, Canal Alliance, Community Action Marin, North Marin Community Services, Ritter Center, St. Vincent De Paul Society of Marin, West Marin Community Services, and Women Helping All People.

Anyone needing help with the online application may call (415) 473-2223 or email staff to learn more about the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Property owners may call the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit at (415) 473-6450 for assistance on rights and responsibilities. Renters are encouraged to contact Legal Aid of Marin at (415) 492-0230, extension 102, for inquiries on eviction protections.

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LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Stop-the-Hate Message Shared with Tens of Thousands at Calif’s Largest Black-Themed Street Festival

Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19. At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Office of the Civil Rights Staff and CBM Representative. Courtesy Photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19^th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19.

At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.

“Held in the heart of south Los Angeles on Crenshaw Blvd, over half a million people attend the one-day event that brings out the best our community has to offer,” said Brandon Brooks, Stop the Hate project director at California Black Media.

“The festival promotes local businesses as well as it brings out local and statewide resources to assist community members, Brooks continued. “The day has proven to be a great opportunity to speak to people directly and provide information to combat hate crimes and incidents.”

During the event, Brooks said he, James Williams, Community Based Organization Manger for California Vs. Hate and Leah Brown-Goodloe from CBM informed and shared literature with tens of thousands of festivalgoers about the state’s Stop the Hate resources.

CBM’s Stop the Hate outreach was held at the beginning of United Against Hate Week (UAHW), a commemoration held annually across the country to recognize the fight against all forms of hate.

UAHW was first launched in 2018 by elected leaders, staff, and community groups from 13 cities in the Bay Area who organized a “United Against Hate” poster campaign responding to White supremacists marching in Northern California streets in the aftermath of Charlottesville riots.

In 2018, Los Angeles County, LAvsHate, a campaign that provided anti-hate crime information and resources to report hate incidents and hate crimes.

According to CRD director Kevin Kish, the L.A. initiative provided a model for the state’s program.

Today, UAHW has grown into a national movement with events organized across the country to mark the day.

In June, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report. According to the report, hate crimes in California decreased by 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.

However, incidents and crimes against Black Californians remained higher than average with 518 reported cases in 2023.

When it comes to reported hate crimes, we know that Black Californians are the most targeted group for hate and discrimination in our state,” said Williams. “The California Civil Rights Department wants people to know that we are committed to reaching the Black community through outreach events and campaigns, including our first-ever billboard campaign, forging new partnerships, or increasing awareness about the hotline and available resources to historically hard-to-reach and underserved Californians.”

Williams said he wants to remind all Californians that there is “support when you report!”

“No matter your background or where you come from, if you’ve been targeted for hate, you can get help accessing legal, financial, mental health, and other services by calling 833-8-NO-HATE or by going to CAvsHate.org,” Williams added.

How To Report A Hate Crime:

CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.

For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.