Bay Area

Senator Nancy Skinner Provides Useful Guide to COVID-19 Financial Relief

Published

5 years ago

April 2, 2020

After holding a teleconference Tuesday, Sen. Nancy Skinner released a wealth of information on how local community members and small business owners can access financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit Sen. Skinner’s website.

Dear Constituent,

My telephone Town Hall on March 24 focused on financial relief actions that our state, federal, and local governments have taken to help those who’ve lost jobs or had hours reduced, small businesses that have had to close, and others that have been impacted by coronavirus/COVID-19.

Here’s a recap of the information relayed during the Town Hall, along with additional information about vital services that are available.

Tax deadlines: Both the state of California and the IRS have extended tax filing deadlines until July 15. However, if you are eligible for the federal EITC or Cal EITC and California’s child tax credit, filing your taxes before July 15 will help you get the benefit right away.

Property taxes: Contra Costa County and Alameda County tax assessors are working to waive late fees and penalties for those taxpayers facing economic hardship. Property tax revenue is very important to our counties to deliver services so if you’re able, please pay by April 10. If facing a hardship, go to your county tax assessor’s website for info on late fees/penalty waivers.

Federal stimulus package: The federal stimulus package, which is expected to be signed into law on March 27, includes a one-time payment of $1,200 to individuals who file a 2018 or 2019 return and earn an income of up to $75,000, or $2,400 payment for couples filing jointly with joint income of up to $150,000. In addition, those qualifying individuals or couples will also receive $500 per child. If your income as an individual is above $75,000 but below $99,000, or as a couple filing jointly above $150,000 but below $198,000, the amount of your check will be lower. Check federal websites for specifics.

Unemployment insurance: If you’ve lost your job or had your hours cut as a result of the crisis, apply online for unemployment insurance at EDD.ca.gov. Check here for eligibility.

The federal bill provides an extra $600 per week for up to four months for those receiving unemployment benefits. Under California law, many individuals, like Uber and Lyft drivers, who were treated by their employer as a 1099 or contract worker, are eligible for unemployment insurance, including the additional $600 federal payment because California law has reclassified many of these workers, even if the company that pays the worker has not done so yet. Legal Aid at Work provides details on this and more.

Disability insurance benefits (SDI): If you receive a W-2 from your employer, in most cases you have paid into the State Disability Insurance program (SDI). This program will provide disability insurance payments for those unable to work for more than eight days due to illness (such as COVID) or injury unrelated to your job. Check the Legal Aid at Work website for more information.

Paid family leave: Paid Family Leave provides benefits to Californians who need to take time off work to care for a seriously ill child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner. Click here for more information.

Mortgages and foreclosures: Gov. Newsom announced that most major banks have agreed to allow residential property owners impacted by the crisis to miss mortgage payments for 90 days. In addition, the federal government suspended foreclosures and evictions to homeowners whose mortgage is guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or is backed by the FHA or HUD. See HUD PDF for info on the federal program: foreclosure and eviction moratorium. Updates will be posted here.

Tenant evictions: Both Alameda County and Contra Costa County sheriffs’ offices have halted eviction proceedings during the crisis. In addition, some local cities, including Albany, Berkeley, and Emeryville, have enacted ordinances temporarily barring evictions and in some cases rent increases for renters and small businesses impacted by the crisis. Check each city’s website to see what measures they’ve put in place

Small business help: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest, long-term federal disaster loans to California small businesses, rental property owners, and private nonprofit organizations with no payments required for the first 12 months. Applicants may apply online.

Energy and Communications: PG&E and our local Community Choice energy providers have suspended shutoffs during the crisis. Also, most cellphone carriers and internet providers have signed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pledge to provide certain benefits during the COVID-19 emergency. The pledge requires companies to keep providing service to people unable to pay their bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic, waiving certain fees, and easing data restrictions to allow consumers to freely use data during the emergency.

Student Loans: As of March 20, 2020, the federal government has temporarily suspended the interest it collects on student loans, and federal lenders are letting borrowers suspend their student loans and loan payments without penalty for the next 60 days.

Parking enforcement: Many cities in our area have suspended parking enforcement. Go to your city’s website to see what your city has done on parking enforcement, extending business license deadlines, and more.

Relief Funds: Oakland and Berkeley have established relief funds for those impacted by the crisis. To find out what the funds support, and how you can contribute, go to https://www.oaklandfund.org/ and https://berkeleyrelieffund.org/

Medi-Cal/CalWORKs recipients: Gov. Newsom waived the 90-day annual redetermination reviews for Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal and CalWORKs. So, if you are currently enrolled in Medi-Cal or CalWORKs, rest assured your benefits will continue through June 16. If your Medi-Cal benefits were already terminated, you have to reapply.

New Medi-Cal applicants: The state has expedited Medi-Cal for new applicants, waiving certain paperwork requirements including citizenship docs. Homeless individuals just need to state on application that they are homeless and will be expedited. All applications can be done through the Covered California website.

CalFresh: If you qualify for and need CalFresh food assistance benefits (the state’s food stamp program), applications can be done online, at GetCalFresh.org. If you are already receiving CalFresh, you will keep your coverage through May and won’t need to be recertified.

Immigration rights: If you’re impacted by the crisis due to your immigration status, please see the Legal Aid at Work website for more information on how to get help.

More detailed information on, for example, unemployment insurance and disability insurance and who qualifies as well as the assistance available to small businesses from the US Small Business Administration, was provided during my March 24 Town Hall. My office will post an audio recording of the Town Hall on my website as soon as it’s available.

Please stay safe and practice the good direction from our public health experts to maintain 6-feet of distance when you are out for shopping or other legitimate needs, and wash your hands — soap and water is most effective!

Sincerely,

Nancy Skinner

Senator, 9th District

Courtesy of Sen. Nancy Skinner’s Office

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

3 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System

While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

Published

1 week ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Image courtesy The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

Chevron Richmond recently installed flare.IQ, a real-time, automated system that will improve the facility’s flaring performance.

The technology, developed by Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business, uses sensors to monitor, reduce and control flaring in real time. It collects and assesses data on refinery processes, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow and gas composition, and adjusts accordingly to ensure flares burn more efficiently and cleanly, leading to fewer emissions.

“The cleaner the flare, the brighter the flame can look,” said Duy Nguyen, a Chevron Richmond flaring specialist. “If you see a brighter flame than usual on a flare, that actually means flare.IQ is operating as intended.”

“A key element in Baker Hughes’ emissions abatement portfolio, flare.IQ has a proven track record in optimizing flare operations and significantly reducing emissions,” said Colin Hehir, vice president of Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business. “By partnering with Chevron Richmond, one of the first operators in North America to adopt flare.IQ, we are looking forward to enhancing the plant’s flaring operations.”

The installation of flare.IQ is part of a broader and ongoing effort by Chevron Richmond to improve flare performance, particularly in response to increased events after the new, more efficient hydrogen plant was brought online in 2019.

Since then, the company has invested $25 million — and counting — into flare minimization. As part of the effort, a multidisciplinary refinery team was formed to find and implement ways to improve operational reliability and ultimately reduce flaring. Operators and other employees involved in management of flares and flare gas recovery systems undergo new training.

“It is important to me that the community knows we are working hard to lower emissions and improve our flaring performance,” Nguyen said.

Also evolving is the process by which community members are notified of flaring incidents. The Community Warning System (CWS), operated by Contra Costa County is an “all-hazard” public warning system.

Residents can opt-in to receive alerts via text, e-mail and landline. The CWS was recently expanded to enable residents to receive notifications for “Level 1” incidents, which are considered informational as they do not require any community action.

For more information related to these topics, check out the resources included on the Chevron Richmond, CAER and Contra Costa Health websites. Residents are also encouraged to follow @chevronrichmond and @RFDCAOnline on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where additional information may be posted during an incident.

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Oakland Hosts Town Hall Addressing Lead Hazards in City Housing

According to the city, there are 22,000 households in need of services for lead issues, most in predominantly low-income or Black and Latino neighborhoods, but only 550 to 600 homes are addressed every year. The city is hoping to use part of the multimillion-dollar settlement to increase the number of households served each year.

Published

1 week ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Magaly Muñoz

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department hosted a town hall in the Fruitvale to discuss the efforts being undertaken to remove lead primarily found in housing in East and West Oakland.

In 2021, the city was awarded $14 million out of a $24 million legal settlement from a lawsuit against paint distributors for selling lead-based paint that has affected hundreds of families in Oakland and Alameda County. The funding is intended to be used for lead poisoning reduction and prevention services in paint only, not water or other sources as has been found recently in schools across the city.

The settlement can be used for developing or enhancing programs that abate lead-based paint, providing services to individuals, particularly exposed children, educating the public about hazards caused by lead paint, and covering attorney’s fees incurred in pursuing litigation.

Most of the homes affected were built prior to 1978, and 12,000 of these homes are considered to be at high risk for lead poisoning.

City councilmember Noel Gallo, who represents a few of the lead-affected Census tracts, said the majority of the poisoned kids and families are coming directly from neighborhoods like the Fruitvale.

“When you look at the [kids being admitted] at the children’s hospital, they’re coming from this community,” Gallo said at the town hall.

In order to eventually rid the highest impacted homes of lead poisoning, the city intends to create programs and activities such as lead-based paint inspections and assessments, full abatement designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint, or partial abatement for repairs, painting, and specialized cleaning meant for temporary reduction of hazards.

In feedback for what the city could implement in their programming, residents in attendance of the event said they want more accessibility to resources, like blood testing, and information from officials about lead poisoning symptoms, hotlines for assistance, and updates on the reduction of lead in their communities.

Attendees also asked how they’d know where they are on the prioritization list and what would be done to address lead in the water found at several school sites in Oakland last year.

City staff said there will be a follow-up event to gather more community input for programming in August, with finalizations happening in the fall and a pilot launch in early 2026.