Rental assistance available for Monterey County residents
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) Despite receiving thousands of applications for rental and utility assistance, funds are available for Monterey County residents.
The Monterey Count SB91 Emergency Rental assistance program received a total of $28 million from state and federal funding. Board Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said it's important for residents to take advantage of this assistance.
Monterey County's Supervisor Wendy Root Askew is urging people to take advantage of funds still available under Monterey County's SB91 Emergency Rental assistance program. A total of 28 million dollars aimed to help both tenants and landlords with overdue rent. Those eligible need to make below 80% of the area median income in Monterey County. Help is also available regardless of a person's immigration status.
“We have resources available to bring you current on your rent, to bring you current on your utilities," said Supervisor Wendy Root Askew. "And we don't want to leave that money on the table.“
This will help both landlords and renters by ensuring renters are no longer at risk of eviction due to unpaid rent but also make sure landlords are getting 100% of their payment, she said.
For them, you know, tens of thousands of dollars of backload rent is not common," said Alexandra Alvarado with the American Apartments Owners Association. "Many of them rely on that for supplemental income or retirement or often to use that money to pay for the expenses like insurance and maintenance and all of that, it has been quite a challenge for them to make it through this time.
According to CBS News, roughly 6.2 million US households are behind on rent. KION asked our Facebook and Twitter followers in Monterey County: If they were struggling to pay rent? As of 9 o’clock out of nearly 200 responses 57% said yes.
"Take advantage of it now," said Supervisor Wendy Root Askew. Bring your rent up to current and work with your landlord to stay in your home.”
Monterey County residents are encouraged to call 211 and submit an application to bring their rent up to date. Both renters and landlords This money will go directly to the landlords and landlords can also apply.
