In summary
A new study says California has been able to send rent relief to only 16% of applicants, who have been waiting for months. The state questions the analysis, but according to its figures, only 41% of applicants have been granted financial relief.
According to a new analysis released today , only 16% of nearly half a million renters who applied for rent relief from the state of California have received their payment. And the clock is ticking: Under state law, landlords will be able to evict tenants who haven’t paid rent by April 1.
Of more than 488,000 households that have applied for assistance since the program launched in March 2021, about 180,000 have been approved. Four percent were denied and more than half of applicants are still waiting for a response, according to the study , compiled by National Equity Atlas, Housing Now, and the Western Center on Law & Poverty using state data.
But even most tenants whose applications were approved are still waiting for a check, according to the analysis. Of the 180,000 households whose applications were approved, only more than 75,000 households were paid. And they still need more help: 90% of those households have reapplied for more money.
The number of people paid, according to the study, is significantly lower than what is shown on the state’s public dashboard : 191,000 households “served” and $2.2 billion paid.
Monica Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Housing and Community Development, disputed the report’s findings, saying the state dashboard has “the most up-to-date and accurate numbers.”
Of 467,000 completed applications to date, 191,000 payments, or 41%, have been made, he said, with more than $80 million being sent each week to more than 8,000 households.
The study authors said they stand by their analysis, which shows that $900 million has been paid (“application complete, paid” in state data), while another $1.15 billion has only been approved (“application complete, paid pending”).
“It doesn’t matter if you have a piece of paper saying it’s approved, you need the money,” said Madeline Howard, a senior attorney with the Western Center and a co-author of the report. “It does not reflect the experience of tenants who live this day to day.”
The study also found that applicants waited an average of more than three months to get an approval and another month to get paid — 135 days in total. However, waiting times have shortened: households that applied for help last March waited around six months to receive the payment, while those that applied in October faced a waiting time of just under four months.
In his emailed response, Hernandez said the wait time measure “does not take into account different rules that were enforced on different apps at different times” or “for incomplete, duplicate, or potentially fraudulent apps that we are now removing from the data”.
“It doesn’t matter if you have a piece of paper that says it’s approved, what they need is the money.”
Madeline Howard, Senior Attorney at the Western Center on Law and Poverty
California received about $5.2 billion from the federal government to help renters stay in their homes and pay landlords. The state is in charge of managing about half of that, while 25 cities and counties manage the rest. The new study focuses on the state program, which covers nearly two-thirds of Californians.
In January, the state received $62 million in additional federal aid, or just 3% of the nearly $2 billion it requested in November. Still, California received a third of the funds reallocated by the US Treasury, which Hernandez said speaks to “federal officials’ confidence in our ability to distribute funds to households in need in a timely manner.” .
According to Hernandez, a budget bill passed by the Legislature in February that allocates money from the General Fund to state and local rent relief programs “means that all eligible applicants seeking assistance for costs filed and incurred on March 31 of 2022 or before, they will receive assistance.”
The new study is the most comprehensive look yet at how rent relief is faring in California.
The full data set was not released to the Western Center through the state’s Public Records Act until the center announced its intention to sue the Department of Housing and Community Development, which runs the program with the help of a private contractor . Repeated Public Records Act requests for the full data set had previously been denied. These groups have been tracking California’s rental and eviction relief efforts since the beginning.
CalMatters has requested similar data from the state through various Public Records Act requests and has been told repeatedly that the data does not exist.
“We don’t track data and create a report on the dates people applied and then received a response. What we do is we can look at the age of applications within the system and make sure that all applications are allocated by a certain date,” said Geoffrey Ross, deputy director of the housing department’s Federal Financial Assistance Division. CalMatters on October 11.
Hernandez said that statement was accurate at the time.
A state ban on evictions for nonpayment of rent went into effect at the start of the pandemic and has been extended multiple times. That protection ended last October, with one condition. Until March 31, landlords would not be able to evict tenants for nonpayment of rent until September 30, 2021, if they had applied for a rent exemption from the state. That extra layer of protection goes away on April 1.
“I’m really confused as to why we haven’t heard anything about extending eviction protections,” Howard said. “People are waiting. They don’t have the promised money.”
The state’s rent relief program continues to face other challenges that have persisted since its inception, according to another recent survey of 58 tenant organizations statewide by Tenants Together, an advocacy group. Ninety percent of respondents reported difficulty accessing the app, and 82% reported difficulty getting information about their apps.
The survey found that California’s most vulnerable renters, including non-English speakers , seniors and those on informal leases, continue to face the greatest obstacles to obtaining rent relief.
“I think there is a lack of understanding in the Legislature that people become homeless after being evicted from their homes,” said Shanti Singh, legislative and communications director for the group that conducted the survey.
This article was originally published by CalMatters
Do any state officials ever read these sites ?!! I mean come on!!! It’s no wonder they got sued, although from the looks of it, it hasn’t done much good… Who are the people in charge of this program and what right do they have to play God and decide who and when get what?! The money has been placed to help California’s renters in a crisis, three years later no one’s beens helped! Wow! Just freaking wow!
Do any state officials ever read these sites ?!! I mean come on!!! It’s no wonder they got sued, although from the looks of it, it hasn’t done much good… Who are the people in charge of this program and what right do they have to play God and decide who and when get what?! The money has been placed to help California’s renters in a crisis, three years later no one’s beens helped! Wow! Just fucking wow!
Approved pending payment since 8.9.23
No award letter no check.. Same run around as everyone else. When I call its ” be patient I can’t provide you with any information besides check your email and portal for updates ”
Yea… Some “relief’ I’m very upset and don’t understand why these folks can’t be transparent.
What a flippen joke! Shame on them!!
Next month, it will be a year since I applied. My application was under review for 10 months, and then 4 weeks ago the status finally changed to “Approved -pending assignment”. What does that mean, and how much longer am I going to have to wait? My landlord has been patient, but it’s wearing thin and this is causing lots of tension. I am so uncomfortable, and I feel like he thinks I’m lying about being approved. It has become a hostile environment and I am so worried that my son and I are not going to have any where to go pretty soon. I keep calling but they just tell me that they can’t give me a time frame for when the funds will be disbursed and to wait for the email. This is so frustrating. Is there any one I can call to expedite this?!
My name is Eliza Douglas I am a renter I filled out my application over a year ago I finally got approved 11 days ago is it going to take another year for my landlord to receive the check how long does it take!
I applied last December 2022 I still have not got one phone call or email.
Their website says I’m still under review. But won’t tell me what is holding up my application from being accepted. I call every week get the same answer just wait just wait have to be patient absolutely frustrating and ridiculous. This is the worst program I’ve ever had to deal with
My tenant and I applied in Jan.and I have still not received any money. It has been 9 months now. Now my tenant still owes me another 26,000 on top of the 32,000 the state is paying. With no moratorium ending in sight she just keeps living rent free
He should work four them all he do not need a job on more from Christine I’m i’m you tried frying scared of him d
He do not need to work at the the crown hotel 528 Valencia st
I have been approved since Feb 5 2022 and I still have not received my money . I call once a week and I’m told different things each time . 20% they tell me that there submitting my case for resolution and someone has to call me in 72hrs and I receive no call . My landlord has no more patience. This is so ridiculous, what can I do to relieve the payment that has been approved for 5months
I myself have applied for renters assistance on Nov 09, 2021. I was denied for no particular reason I appealed over two months ago and no response. I have sent all documents ask for and still no real response.
I rent a room from a patient 84 year old man. He only charges me 400.00 a month. I have promised him his back rent. I think he is starting not to believe me and I am afraid to lose my spot.
I know of a girl that made over 20 thousand dollars by submitting applications for people and splitting the money. My claim is 100% legit and I applied in September seems to be froze
In final review since beginning of January. “We have everything we need sir.We can’t give you any idea of how long it will take. Don’t call us we’ll email YOU. Laugh, Laugh, Chuckle chuckle (baby screaming in the background)” WTF?
I have been waiting now for over 8 months and ive been in qc review for 2 months and each time i call they give me the same dam answer with no time frame or any new information.Is this a dam scam or is the state stealing the funds that where ment for the people in need.I cant believe how state officials are treating us and most likely they are redirecting the funds to line there own dam pockets.No wonder crime is up and its getting worst too.So more banks will be robbed more homes will be robbed more smash and grabs will happen and you can blame our government for all that.Look at how many home invasions happened in the past 2 weeks trust me when i say its going to get worst.Great job housing is key your flooding our jails with your lack of help that the federal government promised us but your the ones who should be locked up for stealing our money.
The program is Tenant Based meaning if tenant doesn’t comply with necessary paperwork and the landlord complied with all documentation Housing is key will deny paying the landlord and all you get for your time and months and months of waiting is a big 0 in payments.
BEWARE.
I have been waiting since November 6 months ago, first it said under review, then final review then conditionally approved then back to under review. For the last 2 months that I’ve been calling I am told it is in payment processing / pending payment, but the site says under review. A one cent deposit verified bank account by SoCal on April 6th a month ago and bill.com on the 13th all documents have been completed and approved for months now.
I applied in November 2021 and saw the process go from application accepted to document review in early April, then to Q & A approval, in late April. Finally, on May 1, I was APPROVED! I am now pending disbursement. I hope to get paid soon, but after reading some reviews, it kind of burst my bubble! Hope to be paid soon, because I need HELP NOW!
I applied in Aug 2021 (8 months) . Still in Pending Review. I’ve called every other week begging for them to tell me what I need to do to get it processed. They tell me they have everything. And it’ in Final Review. What does that mean? HELP!!!!!
I know of 1 person out of about 30 who have applied and actually received. I personally have been approved and still waiting for almost a year now. Who is in charge of releasing these funds and where are all the funds actually going? It doesnt seem like they are being distributed to those of us that are in need, applied and have approved and where do we go for answers? If its for US then it should be paid to US and immediately after approval. Yes, my landlord has been extremely patient and has agreed to become part of the process but promises, promises. WHERE oh WHERE has “our” money gone?
The crazy thing is the people that need it most and are being honest about their financial stress lose I know of so many people that lied and have received $33 racks $28 racks the list goes on They are buying cars living it up while single mothers are stressed waiting for the exact amount needed for rent and bills Us honest people will be the ones out on the street homeless due to greedy abuse the system liars.
Yea I’ve been waiting over a year now and I just found out that they not only denied me but they didn’t tell me until it was too late to do another app. Nothing but B.S. MANN!?!!
7 months I’ve been waiting….I also call often but they can never tell me anything either at housing is key.
ive been waiting 10 mo i call every day all they say is i cant give you a date or a time when we will pay out also talking to diffrent people is crazy they all say the same thing makes you wonder if this shit is a scam or they keeping the money for there self because its taking so long how long does a person reallly have to wait to get help that they offerd to help people and if they dont have the money to help they should let people no no just keep them waiting
I won’t be evicted but my landlord is making life hell. I am trying to get a high interest personal loan ( 35.99 percent interest) so I can give my landlord a good faith payment ( $2000) until my application is paid and processed. I called the information number given on HOUSING IS KEY and they have no information whatsoever, so don’t bother…. the current polical administration hasn’t helped only hindered AMERICAN’S more…. and I empathize with the people in Ukraine who we sent milliions in aide to HOWEVER, when will we help hard working AMERICAN’S FIRST?
I’m grateful my land lord and I are on ok terms considering how much back rent I owe him . It’s frustrating aying the waiting game ! Especially since I cannot get a hold of anyone and I don’t even know if my application has been approved! I would jus like some kind of communication to help my stress and worries . Every month is adding up more debt for me and all who are in the same situation, are anyone of those who are working the program in the same situation? I understand that they are swamped, they must be ! I understand that there’s a prossess for each application and I appreciate thier time. I would like to know if anyone of the many who work there try to look at our situation from where we stand ? It’s a hard thing to do but I hope someone can/ will . This has been deeply depressing I find it difficult to be social. My pride, Integrity, and independents has been very much affected like so many others . The application was difficult to find! Once I found the program application and began to fill it out half way through the application went blank and It took me back to sign in . I’m not sure what happend but I finished it and submitted it. Now when I check the status it said” not submitted ” its so frustrating! I uploaded all my documents and signed! Unable to reach anyone and no way of knowing if I’m waiting time, what do we do ? Please help.
I don’t know where you’ve been calling but they answer everytime I call and they reply to every email I send and even though I haven’t been paid yet they have been keeping me updated . My latest reply from them states the check should arrive in about four weeks . They will reply the same day and if not the very next day . You’re probably calling the wrong numbers .
Hello, What is the email address you are contacting because I need to contact these people asap
Please , please advise what # you are calling or atleast a responding email address because my story is same as 90%, get same generic answer everything, I call. I too know people frauding the system , have been paid & blew the $$. I’m honest & still in the cold. Please help me by providing contact #s & email addresses. Thank you so much.
Email me at
Nycummishelld22@gmail.com
Thanks again so much
If you are signing up using your phone I would try using a computer to sign up. My phone had issues with the application website so I used a laptop and it went smoothly . I submitted my application 2 days before they shutdown the application process. Status: application submitted and received for review.
8months 8 months 8months 8 months 8months 8 months 8months 8 months
That’s how long I’ve been waiting for HELP!!! and no one knows why????
Sham program! Shame on them! We need this $$ to pay our bills! Waiting 5 months plus is not acceptable! Nobody at HOUSING IS KEY gives no answer to when applicant will get funded…People are loosing their homes because of this! Not fair!
The study behind the story on rent relief has a major flaw. The study is treating all applications as though they were submitted by the tenant when in reality these include both tenant and landlord applications. And I know for a fact that if a tenant does not submit an application after a landlord has submitted one, it is marked with the status of Application Waiting Review which constitutes over 25% of the total number of applications (including reapplications for additional funds). The program rules stipulate that if a tenant does not respond to the invitation to submit an application, which is sent automatically upon the landlord application, no further action is possible other than for the landlord to sue the tenant in court (good luck recovering any awarded judgement).
This program and it’s case workers are also not being transparent about their no reimbursement policy. Many of us have been exhausting life savings and credit cards to cover rent while waiting to be approved, acting in good faith. This program does not take that into account, does not reimburse renters and does not communicate that when applying. It only qualifies if you stop paying your rent while under the assurance that you have eviction protection. Which is now ending even though applicants are still waiting for approval. The process bankrupts applicants and has waited out many desperate renters until the program ends in March. All while asking for personal documentation such as rent ledgers, lease agreements and revealing to your landlord that you are applying and asking them to apply to help you save your home. Many landlords wish to evict so they can re-rent the unit at market value. Rent controlled units are valuable and it motivates them to decline the program.
This. Exactly this! Ive been waiting fir my additional fundings request to be approved since nov. 2021. As protections ended in California I , a single mother of 3 have been completely and I stress COMPLETELY broke trying to maintain rent while waiting fir approval. I rent from a slum lord. She recieved the tasks to verify over 2 weeks ago. When i asked her to complete them she brought up I pay bmr and that she could be charging way more to someone else. Im constantly stressed.
YES! My landlord wants me out its his only income and he is being understanding because I gave him the letter stating I applied for rent relief. He thinks I will eventually pay him my back rent. He also feels I may not and so June 31 IF IM NOT PAID BY THEN IM OUT. Even though I may have a job by then, I’m out. I was sent an email from my case worker stating I have 2 days to complete the updated task and mark the application complete. I DID SO… SO, how long now? I’m in California will I get paid before June 31? WHAT DO YOU THINK?