SANTA MONICA—The deadline for tenants and landlords impacted by COVID-19 to apply for state rent and utility assistance is Thursday, March 31. Renters and property owners who have not yet applied, or who may be eligible for additional aid are encouraged to apply at housing.ca.gov.
According to the city of Santa Monica website, help is available for Santa Monica tenants and landlords with the following needs by calling 311 or emailing 311@santamonica.gov:
-Questions about the application process
-Help filling out applications
-Access to computers and internet
-Help scanning or copying documents
-Assistance in languages other than English
-Support for tenants and landlords with disabilities
More than 2,700 Santa Monica households applied for state rental assistance as of March 9, 2022. Almost $27 million was distributed to more than 1,700 households. The average assistance is more than $15,000 per household.
Tenants or landlords who already applied and need additional help or who want to check on the status of an application should not submit a new application. Those who have already applied can call (833) 430-2122 or log in to their existing account.
Eligible applicants may qualify regardless of immigration status or citizenship. State rental assistance does not count as earned income for tenants and will not impact other state assistance programs such as CalFresh or CalWORKS.
