Marin County is working to get tens of millions of dollars in rental help funds out to tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier than a safety towards evictions expires on the finish of this month.
County supervisors accepted a $347,500 contract Tuesday with LiveStories Inc., which is able to increase the variety of case managers processing the purposes from 20 to 30. The supervisors additionally accepted a $123,846 contract with Neighborly Software program.
“We’ve skilled some challenges with the software program system we’re at present on,” Hyacinth Hinojosa, deputy county administrator, informed supervisors on Tuesday. The county’s contract with Unqork Inc., a software program firm based mostly in New York Metropolis, expires on Wednesday.
Hinojosa stated he expects the change to the brand new system to go easily. Nonetheless, the general public’s laptop portal to this system can be offline for per week in the course of the transition, and candidates must log their credentials into the brand new system.
“To this point, we’ve expended about $21.5 million in rental help within the county of Marin, and we now have roughly $14.8 million that we’re nonetheless working to distribute in the neighborhood,” Hinojosa stated. The cash comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus reduction bundle.
“Since January, we’ve assisted one other 188 distinctive households,” Hinojosa stated. “That brings the full to 1,335 households in Marin that we’ve been capable of help.”
Hinojosa stated the county has 845 purposes underneath assessment and one other 1,100 purposes that may benefit assessment. As well as, 200 individuals who submitted purposes after Jan. 8 are on a ready record for help.
Hinojosa stated he believes the remaining $14.8 million can be adequate to fulfill the requests that had been submitted earlier than Jan. 8. He stated the individuals on the ready record had been informed there isn't a assure they may obtain help.
Chris Bolay, a Marin resident on the ready record, spoke in the course of the public remark portion of Tuesday’s assembly. Bolay urged the supervisors to request extra rental help funding from the state so the county can help individuals on the ready record.
Bolay reminded the supervisors that safety from eviction supplied by Meeting Invoice 832 expires on March 31. The legislation requires landlords to use for rental help and be denied earlier than initiating eviction proceedings towards any tenant who owes again hire previous to Oct. 1.
“If the board doesn’t do one thing,” Bolay stated, “a number of hundred extra households are going to develop into homeless on the finish of the month.”
Supervisor Damon Connolly requested Hinojosa, “Do we have to request further cash from the state?”
Hinojosa stated, “I believe we now have adequate funds.”
In an interview following the assembly, Hinojosa stated he's assuming that about 50% of the 1,945 purposes which are in some stage of assessment will in the end not be accepted. He stated some is perhaps duplicates and others is perhaps ineligible.
Hinojosa stated the county will shut its ready record when it switches to the brand new laptop system, which may very well be as early as subsequent week.
Hinojosa stated the county has been prioritizing rental help purposes from tenants underneath imminent menace of eviction and can proceed to take action. He stated that because the state moratorium on evictions expired on Sept. 30, 186 candidates underneath menace of eviction have acquired help by an expedited course of.
Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters requested what impact AB 832 sunsetting on the finish of this month would have on renters going through the chance of eviction.
Hinojosa stated, “Whereas our instances are pending, landlords can't proceed with an eviction as a result of the tenant has not but acquired a last dedication from us.”
To supply additional help to renters going through eviction, County Administrator Matthew Hymel stated he'll convey a proposal to the board subsequent week to proceed funding of Authorized Help of Marin by fiscal 12 months 2022-23.
In September 2020, the county allotted $310,000 to Authorized Help of Marin to supply authorized companies to low-income renters.
Hinojosa stated the county is offering funds solely to tenants making 30% of space median earnings or much less. He stated the county will start funding purposes of tenants making 50% of space median earnings or much less when all of the lower-income candidates have been served.
Gary Armor, who's making an attempt to get better $80,000 in again hire owed to him by a tenant who rented his home in Belvedere, stated he's annoyed with the response he has acquired from Hinojosa.
“All he retains telling me is three or 4 months, three or 4 months, be affected person,” stated Armor, who filed his software in April 2021.
Hinojosa informed supervisors Tuesday that he expects to finish distribution of the remaining $14.9 million by September.