City of West Sacramento

 Yolo County News Release

Income-eligible residents and landlords in West Sacramento and Yolo County who need financial assistance for past or future rent and utilities will now be able to apply for financial help through the State of California’s COVID‐19 Rent Relief program at: housing.ca.gov/covid_rr. 

Yolo County received $13.6 million in federal rental assistance funds to enable local, low-income households most impacted by the pandemic to stay in their homes and prevent displacement. The State of California will be administering the rental assistance program on behalf of Yolo County through the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program and their Housing is Key campaign, which connects renters and landlords experiencing economic hardship due to COVID-19 with helpful information and resources. 

The program provides relief to both eligible landlords and renters. Landlords will be able to receive rent reimbursements for up to 80% of unpaid rent between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 as long as they agree to waive the remaining 20% of unpaid rent accrued. Renters making 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible. In Yolo County, a family of four is eligible for rental assistance if their household income is $74,000 or less. Income eligibility will be determined automatically as part of the application process. 

Eligible renters whose landlords don’t participate in the program can still receive 25% of unpaid rent accrued between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 and can also receive future rent assistance equal to 25% of their monthly rent. Applicants will not be asked about their citizenship, nor will they be required to show proof of citizenship. Applicants will need to turn in certain documents to show loss of income due to COVID-19. 

The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program is not on a first come, first served basis. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and the State will prioritize funding for eligible applicants who are in most need of assistance. For a complete list of requirements, documents and how to apply, local renters and landlords should visit: HousingIsKey.com. A statewide network of local community partners is being established to help answer eligibility questions and submit applications. For questions and application assistance call 1-833-430-2122 between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily. 

This is the second time that Yolo County is offering rental assistance to local renters and landlords. In October 2020, Yolo County partnered with the Yolo County Housing Authority to support residents in the unincorporated and incorporated areas of the county who were at greatest risk of displacement due to unpaid rent related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to offset corresponding lost revenue that landlords needed to provide housing services. 

For additional information about this program on the County’s website, visit: www.yolocounty.org/Rent-Relief.