Resources for
Renters, Landlords
and Homeowners

The California Mortgage Relief Program is now accepting applications. Homeowners, apply today to get caught up on your housing payments.

Rent Relief Applications are closed. Check your status here.

Rental Assistance

In accordance with Senate Bill 115, applications are no longer open for the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program. State law extends eviction protections until June 30,2022 for qualifying applications received by March 31. But eviction protections do not extend for non-payment of rent after March 31. That means tenants must pay rent and utility bills beginning April 1.

Mortgage Relief Program


Resources

The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program is committed to keeping individuals and families housed throughout the state of California. The following resources can help landlords and renters who are in the application process.

Remember: As of April 1, 2022, CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program is no longer accepting new applications.

If you still have an application or appeal open with the program, a member of our Local Partner Network (LPN) may be reaching out to try to assist you in completing a remaining task. While the LPN organizations may operate in specific counties, they are able to provide remote assistance to applicants across the state. If you are unsure about who may be calling you from the LPN on behalf of the program, you can verify their organization by viewing our list of partners here.

If you need language assistance, help completing the assigned task, or assistance uploading paperwork, you can schedule an appointment with an organization near you by calling the following number: 833-687-0967.

Local Resources

As of April 1, 2022, the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program is no longer accepting new applications. Your city or county may have additional resources, including local rent relief programs, to help you cover the cost of your rent or utility payments. Use the menu below to select your county and find local programs or resources that may be available in your area. Please note, some programs may have already ended and others may have specific requirements for participation. Please click the link for the resources listed in your county to find out more information.

Organization Name Organization Website
Sonoma County
Sonoma County Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/finance-housing/housing-and-renter-support/
Organization Name Organization Website
Sacramento County
Sacramento Emergency Rental Assistance (SERA) Program https://www.shra.org/sera/
Organization Name Organization Website
Alameda County
Alameda County Housing Secure https://www.ac-housingsecure.org/
Organization Name Organization Website
San Joaquin County
City of Stockton Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.stocktonca.gov/government/departments/econDev/houseEra.html
Organization Name Organization Website
Fresno County
Fresno County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) https://fresnorentalhelp.com/
Organization Name Organization Website
Monterey County
Monterey County Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.unitedwaymcca.org/county-rent-and-utility
Organization Name Organization Website
Kern County
Kern County Emergency Rent & Utility Assistance Program https://rup.kernha.org/
Organization Name Organization Website
Santa Barbara County
County of Santa Barbara Rental & Utility Grants https://www.unitedwaysb.org/rent
Organization Name Organization Website
Los Angeles County
Long Beach Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.longbeach.gov/lbds/hn/emergency-rental-assistance-program/
Organization Name Organization Website
Orange County
City of Anaheim Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.anaheim.net/5532/Emergency-Rental-Assistance-Program
City of Santa Ana Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.santa-ana.org/departments/housing-authority
Organization Name Organization Website
Riverside County
Riverside County United Lift Program https://www.unitedlift.org/
Organization Name Organization Website
San Diego County
County of San Diego Emergency Rent and Utilities Assistance Program https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/sdhcd/community-development/COVID-19-Emergency-Rental-Assistance-Program.html
Organization Name Organization Website
Marin County
Marin County Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.marincounty.org/main/rap/english-marin-county-emergency-rental-assistance-program
Organization Name Organization Website
San Mateo County
San Mateo County Emergency Rental Assistance Program https://www.smcgov.org/san-mateo-county-emergency-rental-assistance-program
Organization Name Organization Website
San Francisco County
San Francisco Emergency Rental Assistance Program www.sf.gov/renthelp
Organization Name Organization Website
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System (HPS) https://www.preventhomelessness.org/

Frequently Asked Questions

The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program is an emergency program that helped eligible renters and landlords by providing financial assistance for rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The program was targeted toward low-income renters and their landlords who met financial eligibility requirements. Applicants were able to request up to 18-months in assistance covering the time between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2022

In accordance with state law, the application portal to the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program closed after March 31, 2022. The program will continue to review and process funding for all eligible applications received by that date.

If you submitted your application by March 31, you will be able to access your application to check the status, respond to tasks, and provide additional information requested by your case manager.

AB 2179, signed into law on March 31, 2022, extended the state’s eviction protections for nonpayment of rent to applicable applicants that submitted a complete application to the state or local rental assistance programs on or before March 31, 2022. These statewide protections were in place from April 1 to June 30, 2022. Some cities and counties have additional eviction protections in place. Please contact your local jurisdiction to see what may be available to help you.

If your application is denied, you will receive an email notifying you of the denial. The email will include a link directing you to the Appeal Portal. There you can review a brief description of the appeals process and submit an appeal directly. If you have any questions about the appeals process, please contact the call center at 833-430-2122 or you can email appeal@ca-rentrelief.com. If you need additional help submitting an appeal including help in another language, please contact 833-687-0967.

The email notifying you of the denial will provide the reason your application was denied. If you choose to submit an appeal, you can then upload new or different document(s) that may address the reason for the denial in order to support your appeal.

After successfully submitting an appeal, you will be redirected to a confirmation page and will also receive an email confirming the appeal was submitted. You will also notice that your application status in Neighborly has been updated from Denied to Appeal Submitted.

If you have submitted an appeal, your status will show the appeal has been submitted. Please watch your email to see if there are any questions the team needs answered while reviewing your appeal.

Our goal is to complete appeal determinations within 30 days, however, each appeal is unique and may take longer.

The program will allow you to appeal your denial or awarded amount only once.

While we know rent relief is an urgent issue for all applicants, to ensure that those most in need receive assistance, the state will first review and commit funds to applicants who are income-eligible and who are at the greatest risk of eviction. It is critical that applicants act as quickly as possible to complete their application and reply to any requested action or response. This will ensure an application can be processed as quickly as possible.

Once applications are submitted, applicants may monitor the status of their applications by logging into their Neighborly account here or by calling a program representative at 833-430-2122 (toll free) between 7 am and 7 pm seven days a week. Applicants will be automatically contacted by a program representative once their application is reviewed, or if the application is found to be missing required documentation.

Yes. The landlord, renter, and/or utility provider will be notified automatically of payment by email after the renter, landlord, and pay request have been determined eligible and payment calculation has been completed and verified by the payment team. Applicants can also check the status of their applications at any time through the online application portal at HousingIsKey.com, or by calling a program representative at 833-430-2122 (toll free) daily from 7 am – 7 pm Pacific time. The status report will indicate whether and when a payment has been made.

If the landlord agrees to participate in this program, payment will be made directly to the landlord on behalf of the eligible household. If the landlord refuses to participate, payment will be made directly to the renter. The same is true for utility payments that are owed to the landlord as required by the lease agreement.

If you are currently experiencing homelessness and already submitted a rent relief application, please contact a Continuum of Care location for support in your community. All federal Continuum of Care grant recipients in California are listed here.

The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program has established direct connections with legal aid organizations across the state and will continue to connect applicants that wish to access legal aid support. Applicants in need of legal aid who do not submit a rent relief application to the portal by March 31 are encouraged to visit lawhelpca.org.

Per federal guidelines for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program will send a completed IRS Form 1099-MISC to all landlords and utility providers that received assistance from ERAP in 2021. An email that includes a secure link to retrieve the form will be sent via Track1099 Software to the registered email address used to submit the original ERAP application. Please check your junk and spam folders. If the email fails then the form will be postmarked and mailed via U.S. Mail on January 31 with delivery expected within 7-14 days. Do not discard this form, as you will need to keep it on file for your taxes.

If you do not receive your form either by email or U.S. Mail by February 15, please call the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program Contact Center at 833-430-2122.

ERAP payments to landlords and utility providers are considered taxable income. For more information, visit Internal Revenue Service: Emergency Rental Assistance Frequently Asked Questions. Please direct tax specific questions regarding the Form 1099-MISC to your qualified tax professional.

No. The funds returned to the program are not “income” to the program reportable on Form 1099. Therefore, no Form W-9 is required as the program is not a taxable entity and would not be a Form W-9 vendor given that no services were provided. The returned amount would be an offset to your income in year-end reporting. Please consult with your advisor on the tax treatment of this item.

Resources for Renters/Landlords