The City has reopened the Long Beach Emergency Rental Assistance Program (LB-ERAP) for qualified landlords and tenants to apply for pandemic-related rental assistance. The reopening of the program is due to an additional $13.1 million the City has recently received in state and federal funding, bringing the program budget up to $64 million.
People seeking to apply, as well as those with incomplete or pending applications, may contact the support line, at 833.358.5372 for assistance from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Eligible households may receive assistance to pay 100% of unpaid rents and utilities from April 2020 to present. Those who have started their online applications are especially encouraged to complete the submittal process. The new application period will remain open until all program funds are exhausted. Previously, the application period has been extended twice to encourage more participation.
To date, a total of 1,690 landlord and utility providers have received or are approved for $12.1 million in rent and utility assistance on behalf of renter households. There are currently 13,278 registered applicants, including both landlords and tenants. However, of these, just 4,836 have been submitted by either a tenant and landlord or by a tenant only.
The City and Yardi Systems are reviewing and contacting landlords and tenants to submit the missing documentation needed to qualify the households for rent and utility assistance. Tenant applications and income documents are required to complete the funding of the applications.
LB-ERAP is separate from the State’s rental assistance program, and applicants should not apply to the State program if the unit for which they are seeking rental assistance is located in Long Beach.
State law AB 832, which was recently enacted, will extend the California moratorium on tenant evictions until September 30, 2021, and will now allow the program to pay all the unpaid rent for eligible tenants; payment can be made directly to the tenant if landlord participation or cooperation is lacking. The rental assistance payment must then be used to pay any unpaid rent owed by the tenant.
