Written by Natalia Toliver
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to provide $52 million in state funds to San Diegans who need rental assistance. This assistance will be available to residents throughout the county, but excludes the residents in the City of San Diego and Chula Vista because those cities have their own separate funding.
This $52 million is an addition to the already allocated $48.8 million in federal funds that the board voted to accept back in January.
To be eligible for assistance, one’s household income must fall at or below the 60% Area Median Income established by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. Eligible residents must also have experienced either financial hardship or an increase in medical expenses as a result of COVID-19.
According to the director of Housing and Community Development, David Estrella, the county needs to meet certain timelines. This includes distributing at least 65% of the assistance money by June. Estrella also noted that the county will need to hire more people to successfully distribute the rental assistance.
The county is expected to launch applications soon, but the exact timeline is unknown. If you have applied for rental assistance before, you are still eligible. For updates, visit the county’s COVID-19 Rent Relief Page.
