AND RESTRICTIONS TONIGHT, WE ARE , SEEING SOME SIGNS HOPE.
THIS WEEK MORE BUSINESSES WERE ALLOWED TO OFFER MORE SERVICES
IN SEVERAL COUNTIES INCLUDING SACRAMENTO AND MONTEREY.
GULSTAN: AND SOME HELP FOR INDIVIDUALS IS ON THE WAY.
ANOTHER ROUND OF STIMULUS CHECKS IS GOING OUT TO MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE.
THAT SAME LEGISLATION ALSO EXTENDS THE EXTRA $300 IN
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN SEPTEMBER, AND PROVIDES AID TO
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
EDIE: THE STIMULUS PACKA ALSO SETS ASIDE MORE THAN IN
$20 BILLION EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER RELIEF FOR
THE HOMELESS.
GULSTAN: BUT WITH THE STATE’S RENT MORATORIUM SET TO EXPIRE IN
JUNE, CASH-STRAPPED CALIFORNIANS WILL HAVE TO PAYBACK MISSED RENT
PAYMENTS OR FACE POSSIBLE EVICTION.
KCRA 3’S BRITTANY JOHNSON SHOWS US WHAT RENTERS AND LANDLORDS
CAN DO TO GET SOME HELP.
BRITTANY: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WITH ITS TOXIC TENTACLES, HAS
INFECTED MOST CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES.
AND THE FINANCIAL TOLL HAS ONLY BEGUN TO BE SEEN
BUT IT’S HERE, IN THIS QUIET STOCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE A
FAMILY OF SIX IS STRUGGLING TO HOLD ONTO THEIR HOME.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY
THE RENT.
AND IT’S HARD FOR US, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE A FAMILY.
BRITTANY: THIS STOCKTON RESIDENT DOESN’T WANT US USING HER NAME.
BUT SHE TELLS US SHE AND HER HUSBAND WENT FROM OPERATING A
SUCCESSFUL CATERING BUSINESS TO LOOKING FOR WORK.
>> WE HAVE A LITTLE BUSINESS DOING TACOS.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT’S SLOW ,SLOW, AND NO INCOME WE DON’T
, GET ANY INCOME RIGHT NOW.
BRITTANY: WITH NO EVENTS, THEY’VE HAD TO CLOSE UP SHOP.
AND WITH THE BILLS PILING UP THEY BECAME ONE OF THE THOUSANDS
WHO HAVE FALLEN BEHIND ON RENT.
>> WE DON’T GIVE THE OWNER THE RE FOR ALMOST FOUR MONTHS NOW.
BRITTANY: IT IS NOT JUST RENTERS FALLING BEHIND LANDLORDS ARE
, HURTING TOO.
DOESN’T SHARED THEIR STORIES KCRA 3 WEB SURVEY.
ONE SACRAMENTO LANDLORD AGREED TO US BUT DOESN’T WANT TO BE
, IDENTIFIED.
>> I HAVE A RENTER WHO HASN’T PAID RENT FOR ABOUT EIGHT
MONTHS.
SO THAT HAS AFFECTED ME BECAUSE , I’M STILL PAYING ALL THE
BILLS, THE INSURANCE, THE PROPERTY TAXES.
BRITTANY: SHE’S BEEN DIGGING INTO HER SAVINGS, WHICH DOUBLES
AS A RETIREMENT FUND IN ORDER TO , MAKE SURE HER TENANTS HAVE A
PLACE TO STAY.
>> WELL, I DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO NOT HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
BRITTANY: SENATE BILL 91, -- PROTECTS COVID-EFFECTIVE
RENTERS FROM ADDICTIONS DUE TO NONPAYMENT.
BUT IT IS SAID TO EXPIRE RENTERS JUNE 30.
WILL NEED TO PAY LANDLORDS, AND COME UP WITH THE MONEY THEY
COULDN’T PAY DURING THE MORATORIUM PERIOD.
>> WE DON’T HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE PAYBACK.
BRITTANY: BUT THE PROTECTION IS NOT AUTOMATIC.
TAHIRIH KRAFT, HOUSING SERVICES DIRECTOR FOR SACRAMENTO
SELF-HELP HOUSING, AND TINA LEE-VOGT, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR
THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT, EXPLAIN.
>> DURING THAT PERIOD, OWNERS CALLED A DECLARATION OF IMPACT.
TENANTS HAD 15 DAYS TO RETURN IT BACK TO THE OWNER, SHOWING
PTHEY’VE BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID.
BRITTANY: RENTERS ALSO HAD TO PAY 25% OF THE RENT.
IF THEY MISSED EITHER OF THOSE THINGS, THEY COULD FACE
EVICTION.
>> HAVE WE HEARD THERE’S GOING TO BE ANY SORT OF EXTENSION?
>> IT WILL BE A FEW DAYS BEFORE IT ACTUALLY EXPIRES THAT THE
GOVERNOR TAKES ACTION.
I ANTICIPATE THAT IF THINGS REALLY HAVEN’T CHANGED FOR
RENTERS, THAT WE WILL SEE ANOTHER EXTENSION.
BRITTANY: IF THEY DON’T, THERE ARE RESOURCES TO HELP PAY THE
RENT.
ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SACRAMENTO HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
ARE STEPPING UP TO HELP.
SARAH O’DANIEL, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAYS SHRA RECEIVED
ABOUT IN FEDERAL AND STATE $95 MILLION FUNDING TO GIVE TO
RENTERS AND LANDLORDS IMPACTED FROM COVID-19.
>> THIS IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN USE THESE FUNDS TO GET CAUGHT UP
ON YOUR RENT AND UTILITIES THAT YOU WEREN’T ABLE TO PA
BRITTANY: AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THE MONEY DOESN’T NEED TO BE
PAID BACK.
BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT FAST.
THE DEADLINE TO APPLY THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 19.
>> TRY TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED, ALL
THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION ALL SUBMITTED, BECAUSE WITH THAT
INFORMATION, WE CAN PROCESS IT RIGHT AWAY.
>> THAT WOULD HELP ME A LOT BECAUSE I COULD PUT THE MONEY IN
MY SAVINGS.
BRITTANY: AS FOR OUR STOCKTON FAMILY