City and school officials push $83M in rent help

San Diego city and school district officials are encouraging families to take advantage of more than $83 million in free rent assistance available to those who are struggling financially due to the pandemic.

“Housing is a human right,” said Councilman Sean EloRivera at a news conference Monday. “There is no shame in accepting some help when you’re in a time of need.”

Families are eligible to apply for rent assistance at covidassistance.sdhc.org if they:

• Reside in the city of San Diego

• Have an annual income equal to or less than $92,400 for a family of four or $64,700 for an individual

• Have an obligation to pay rent

• Are not already receiving a rent subsidy

• Have at least one household member who has lost income or faced financial hardship due to the pandemic • Have been or are at risk of being homeless Priority will go to families of four making $57,750 a year or less or $40,450 for an individual, or to families with at least one person who has been jobless for at least 90 days.

The city is able to offer $83 million through an award from the federal government. Last year, San Diego offered $13 million in rent assistance, said Mayor Todd Gloria at Monday’s event.

San Diego Unified is helping publicize the rent assistance program by distributing thousands of flyers at its free meal distribution sites.

More than 8,100 people have already applied for rent assistance since the city program launched on March 15.

Three out of five applicants have been unemployed for at least 90 days. The applicants were an average of five months behind on rent and utilities, and about 72 percent are extremely low-income.

The program can pay 80 percent of a tenant’s past-due rent from April 1, 2020, through March 31— if the landlord agrees to waive the remaining 20 percent. If not, the program can pay 25 percent of the tenant’s past-due rent.

California has banned evictions for unpaid rent due to the pandemic until at least June 30. The ban covers unpaid rent due from March 1, 2020, to June 30 of this year.