THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 5 GETTING RESULTS.
VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT
5 GETTING RESULTS. young enough to get it. >> LISA: TONIGHT, CONCERN OVER
WHETHER SOME RENTERS ARE
ACTUALLY GETTING THE EMERGENCY
RENTAL ASSISTANCE. THEY NEED.
EXPERTS SAY TOO MANY RULES
REQUIRING TOO MANY DOCUMENTS
HAVE SLOWED SOME OF THOSE
PAYMENTS NEWS. 6 INVESTIGATOR
ERIK SANDOVAL FOUND OUT IT IS
HITTING SOME RENTERS HARDER
THAN OTHERS. ERIC? YEAH,
LADIES, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
SOME LOW INCOME RENTERS. WHO
MAY NOT HAVE PAY STUBS TO
PROVE THEIR INCOME OR THE
PAPERWORK TO PROVE THAT
THEY’VE BEEN HIT HARD
FINANCIALLY BY THE PANDEMIC.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
DENIED HELP. OTHERS HAVE
WAITED MONTHS TO GET IT WHILE
OTHERS HAVE FACED EVICTION, WE
FOUND OUT THE GOVERNMENT IS
NOW TRYING TO GET RESULTS.
>> THEY’RE STILL FAR TOO MANY
RENTERS THAT HAVE NEED RENT
AND STILL HAVEN’T RECEIVED THE
ASSISTANCE THAT’S REALLY DUE
TO THEM. DIANE YENTEL AND THE
NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING
COALITION HAVE BEEN TRACKING
RENTAL ASSISTANCE SPENDING
ACROSS THE NATION.
>> SHE SAYS THE HOUR, FLORIDA
PORTAL, WHICH IS ONLY SPEND
39% OF FLORIDA’S FEDERAL
RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING
NEEDS TO REMOVE OBSTACLES AND
GET THE MONEY MOVING FASTER TO
THOSE WHO NEED IT. IT’S
INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING, RIGHT?
BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEHIND
ON RENT.
>> THEY ARE CONCERNED EVERY
DAY THAT THEY MIGHT LOSE THEIR
HOMES DUE TO SOME KIND OF
BUREAUCRATIC, THE AND THEY
KNOW THAT THIS MONEY IS
AVAILABLE AND HASN’T REACHED
THEM HAD. AND THAT’S
INCREDIBLY SHE SAYS
SIMPLIFYING THE APPLICATION
PROCESS IS JUST ONE WAY
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CAN GET
RESULTS FOR ALL RENTERS OTHER
WAYS, INCLUDING NOT REQUIRING
SO MANY DOCUMENTS TO PROVE
RENTERS HAVE BEEN FINANCIALLY
HIT BY COVID.
>> MORE OUTREACH TO LANDLORDS
TO LET THEM KNOW HELP IS
AVAILABLE AND DIRECT
ASSISTANCE TO TENANTS WHEN
THEIR LANDLORDS REFUSED TO
PARTICIPATE. NEWS 6 FOUND OUT
THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS
WORKING ON CHANGES. WE
OBTAINED A COPY OF THE RENTAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IMPROVEMENT PLANS SUBMITTED BY
THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN
NOVEMBER BECAUSE THE STATE
HADN’T SPENT THE FUNDS FAST
ENOUGH.
>> AND THIS TRADERS ROAD,
THEY’RE LOOKING TO STREAMLINE
APPLICATIONS AND PAYMENTS.
>> BUT NO MENTION OF WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN A LANDLORD
REFUSES TO PARTICIPATE. STILL
WITH THESE NEW GUIDELINES, DCF
SAYS SPENT ALL OF THE FIRST
ROUND OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE
FUNDS BY JANUARY. IS THE
DEMAND STILL THERE IN ORANGE
COUNTY?
>> SO THERE IS STILL A IN
ORANGE COUNTY.
>> DIANNE ARNOLD HEADS UP
ORANGE COUNTY’S RENTAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. IN FACT,
SHE SIGNED OFF ON THAT
COUNTIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT
THEY ALSO WERE FORCED TO
SUBMIT FOR NOT SPENDING THEIR
FUNDS FAST ENOUGH. SHE SAYS
RIGHT NOW ORANGE COUNTY IS
DISPERSED. 50% OF THEIR FUNDS
AND IN THE PROCESS OF
STREAMLINING THINGS TO MAKE IT
EASIER AND FASTER FOR ALL
APPLICANTS. BUT SHE SAYS WORK
STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE WHEN IT
COMES TO PAYING RENDERS
DIRECT. WHEN THE MONEY’S BEING
ISSUED TO THE TENANTS.
>> A LOT OF TIMES THAT MONEY
IS NOT GETTING. SO THE
LANDLORD OR OR DEPOSITED AND
THEN THEY’RE GOING TO ANOTHER
PROGRAM ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE
AND THAT KIND OF THING. SO
WE’RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MAKE
SURE WE CAN PROVIDE IT. BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, BE ABLE TO
VERIFY THAT THE MONEY IS GOING
WHERE IT’S SUPPOSED TO GO.
>> MATT: AND ORANGE COUNTIES
ACTUALLY TAKING ANOTHER STEP
FARTHER TO GET RESULTS FOR
THESE RENTERS. THEY’RE
ACTUALLY LOOKING THROUGH THE
EVICTIONS IN COURT TO FIND
FAMILIES WHO MAY HAVE FALLEN
THROUGH THE CRACKS ARE
CONTACTING THOSE FAMILIES AND
THE LANDLORDS AND THEN
EXPEDITING THOSE PAYMENTS.
THEY’VE ALSO GIVEN QUALIFIED
RUNNERS WHO ARE MOVING A
LETTER OF INTENT THAT
BASICALLY TELLS A PROSPECTIVE
LANDLORD THAT THIS RENT IS
GUARANTEED FOR AT LEAST 3
FAMILIES DO NOT END UP ON THE
SLOW MOVES, BUT AT LEAST THE
MOVE SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN.
YEAH, I CAN’T THINK OF
ANYTHING MORE FRIGHTENING
RIGHT NOW THAN THINKING YOU
MIGHT NOT HAVE A PLACE TO
LIVE. SO HOW LONG IS IT TAKING
TO GET THESE FUNDS TO THE
RENTERS AND THE LANDLORD
THERE? IT’S A COMPLICATED
QUESTION, ACTUALLY, GENDER
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT’S ALL
ABOUT STAFFING, YOU KNOW,
HAVING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO
PROCESS THE CHECKS, GET INTO
THE MALE, GET INTO THE
ACCOUNTS THAT NEED THEM. IT’S
REALLY BEEN A PROBLEM WITH A
LOT OF AGENCIES. ORANGE COUNTY
TELLS ME ONCE AN APPLICATION,
THOUGH, IS APPROVED, TAKING
ABOUT 3 TO 4 WEEKS TO GET THAT
MONEY OUT. BUT COMPARED TO
UNITED WAY IN MARION COUNTY,
WHICH WE FEATURE 2 WEEKS AGO,
THEY’RE TAKING JUST A COUPLE
DAYS TO GO OUT. AND SO, YEAH.