DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ana Bradshaw, COVID-19 Financial and Performance Liaison
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Accepting a grant award in the amount of $46,751,961.10 from the United States Treasury for Emergency Rental Assistance, approving the budget within the Recovery and Resiliency Plan, and amending program eligibility requirements.
SUMMARY:
Amendments to the Recovery and Resiliency Plan and the City's ongoing COVID-19 emergency response plan and supplemental initiatives to further the objectives of the plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On April 23, 2020, City Council approved the creation of the Emergency Housing Assistance?Program (EHAP). The program provides eligible applicants rental or mortgage assistance, utility assistance, and cash assistance. The EHAP is administered by the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD).
Currently, the total budget for the EHAP is $86.8 million. This includes Phases 1-3 of the EHAP as well as administrative costs which includes 38 temporary positions to process applications. As of February 8, the City has approved $71.9 million in assistance to over 28,770 households seeking emergency rental, mortgage, and utility assistance.
In January 2021, the U.S. Treasury awarded the City an additional $46.8 million for the Emergency Rental Assistance programs under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.
Emergency Rental Assistance program funds are provided directly to States, U.S. Territories, local governments, and tribal governments. Grantees must use the funds to help eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not less than 90 percent of awarded funds must be used for direct financial assistance, including rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and ho...
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