SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento started taking applications for the second round of Sacramento Emergency Rental Assistance (SERA2) in late February. Now, March 19 is the next important date for county residents who need help with back-owed rent due to the pandemic. That’s when the application window ends.
“I would encourage everybody that wants to apply to go ahead and apply right now,” says Sarah O’Daniel, Deputy Executive Director of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). SHRA administers the program in partnership with the city and county.
So far, O’Daniel says more than 16,000 applications have been submitted. She says that’s good but there’s room for more. “We can certainly have additional families apply as well because we have enough funds.”
Under the program, eligible tenants can receive 80% of back-owed rent from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, if their landlord agrees to forgive the other 20%. If landlords don’t accept that option, tenants still can apply to receive 25% of what’s owed to help them stay compliant with the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (AB 3088).
O’Daniel says two things are critical: having the right documents ready to upload, and communication between tenant and landlord.
"I would encourage the tenants to go ahead and contact their landlords," but there's no need to wait given the deadline. "The tenants can go ahead and apply, and then at that point, when we start the process, we will contact the landlord as well,” she told ABC10.
For full program details, including info on who qualifies and what documents are needed, or to file an application, visit SHRA’s website.
O’Daniel says help is available. “If you need to talk to somebody you can call 916-449-1266. If you don't speak English, there's no problem. We have bilingual staff, as well as a translation company that can help with all languages.”
Even if you don’t have all of the info you need right now, the important thing is to get that application in and to get the ball rolling.
“Apply and put as much as you can in terms of the documentation,” said O’Daniel. “We will work with you to get the remaining documentation.”
How fast will things move once the application window closes? “We anticipate that will be within the next two to three weeks that we will start the payments,” said O'Daniel.
O’Daniel is also hopeful there will be a SERA3, thanks to the recently signed American Rescue Plan, which could make even more rent relief available, soon.
“What we have seen in there is that there is over $21 billion that have been set aside nationwide for emergency rental assistance,” she said. “We are hopeful that our region will get a substantial amount of money, again, to help families in need who are in rent and utility arrears.”
If things go as hoped, O’Daniel expects SHRA to be taking more applications in early May.
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