Long Beach is reopening applications for its emergency rental assistance program, the City announced today. The program allows qualified landlords and tenants to have back-due rent and utilities paid for by the City.
The City reopened applications after it received an additional $13.1 million in state and federal funding for the program, bringing the total allocation up to $64 million.
“With this new funding, we strongly encourage all those who may be eligible for assistance to apply for this program,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “We know that many of our residents who have been financially impacted by the pandemic still need help. It’s very important that we get folks the rental support they need.”
Eligible households can receive assistance to pay 100% of their unpaid rent and utilities from April 2020 to present. Applications will remain open until available funds are exhausted.
To date, 1,690 landlords and utility providers have received or are approved for $12.1 million in rent and utility payments on behalf of renter households. There are currently 13,287 registered applicants. Of these, just 4,836 have been submitted by a tenant or landlord only.
California’s eviction moratorium will end on Sept. 30 of this year. Previous iterations of the emergency rental assistance program only paid a portion of back due rent and utilities, but a new state law allows cities to pay 100% of unpaid rent for eligible tenants. Payments can now be made directly to the tenant if landlords are uncooperative.
