Anaheim’s rental assistance program, which had one of the earliest application deadlines in the region, is accepting applications once again but only from landlords.
Low-income tenants in the city who qualify for state and federal help paying off their back rent but missed the March 31 application deadline can get help if their landlord files an application. In addition, city officials say they’re planning to reopen applications for tenants as well in the near future.
Landlords can’t qualify for repayment of debt owed unless their tenants cooperate, providing such information as identification and their proof of income.
California is making $5.2 billion available to pay off 100% of rent debt tenants accrued since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, with a patchwork of state and local programs administering the assistance program. Anaheim received an allocation of $21.6 million in state and federal funds, a city spokeswoman said. The assistance is available only for debt incurred by low-income tenants who lost income due to the pandemic.
Anaheim began accepting applications from landlords Aug. 2 and hasn’t set a deadline to apply during this new round of assistance. Cash is being offered to cover unpaid rent and utility bills due to the economic impacts of the pandemic and California’s eviction moratorium.
To qualify, tenants must earn less than 80% of Orange County’s median income. That amounts to a limit of $75,300 a year for a single person, $86,050 for two people, $96,800 for a family of three and $107,550 for a family of four.
Owners of Anaheim rental properties can apply for missed rent from April 2020 through next September through Anaheim.net/rentassistance. More information is available at 714-765-4300, ext. 4890.
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Landlords who agreed to waive 20% of the missed rent during the program’s first round don’t need to reapply to be considered for the missed portion of their back rent.
Initially, both tenants and landlords could apply in Anaheim, but the deadline was March 31. Applications closed from March 19 through April 30 in Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Clarita, the city of Los Angeles and the county of Orange. The state housing department, which is administering most of the assistance programs in California, didn’t set any application deadlines.
Some tenants complained they mistakenly applied to the state program and weren’t told until after Anaheim’s application deadline expired they needed to apply directly to the city. They now can get their back rent paid off if their landlord applies on their behalf or by applying on their own once the application portal reopens for tenants.
With landlords able to recover 100% of their missed rent from the past 16 months, “what’s the reason not to participate this time around?” said city spokeswoman Lauren Gold.
Some Southern California landlords have complained, however, they were unable to get rental assistance because their tenants either skipped and can’t be located or because they refuse to cooperate. Since the funds are tied to the tenant’s family income, Gold said, officials can’t help the landlord if they can’t get that information from the tenant.
Residents needed to apply directly to their local programs in the counties of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino as well as the cities of Irvine, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Santa Clarita and Los Angeles. Residents of all other Southern California jurisdictions, including the county of Los Angeles, can apply to the state program at HousingIsKey.com.
