Title
Recommendation to Accept Proposed Changes to the Emergency Rent Relief Guidelines and Authorize the City Manager to Approve Future Changes to the Guidelines. (Community Development)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In May and June 2020, City Council allocated funds for emergency rent relief to mitigate potential homelessness and displacement of Alameda tenants who experience a decrease in household income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Program had three priorities: 1) preserve housing stability; 2) prioritize those with most need; and 3) maximize the number of households assisted. Based on a review of the first 120 applications, staff has identified three recommended changes to the guidelines: 1) after all applications have been reviewed, authorize staff to evaluate increasing the maximum amount of assistance per household (on a pro rata basis) to address the unmet need of the existing applicants; 2) broaden the allowable COVID-19 impact to allow for a loss of income or a documented increase in expenses; and 3) delegate authority to the City Manager to make adjustments to the guidelines such that they will not be stricter than HUD's guidelines and/or to ensure flexibility and timeliness in meeting the needs of the City of Alameda's (City) low-income tenants who are at risk of becoming homeless due to inability to pay rent. The proposed changes to the guidelines are attached as Exhibit 1. Exhibit 2 is the proposed final guidelines.
BACKGROUND
In May and June 2020, City Council allocated funds for emergency rent relief to mitigate potential homelessness and displacement of Alameda tenants who experience a decrease in household income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, City Council approved establishing the Alameda Strong Community Relief Fund, a portion of whose proceeds are designated to assists tenants. On June 2, 2020, the City Council allocated $583,116 of Community Development Block Grant...
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