Housing and Utilities

Eligible California renters who are unable to pay rent may be able to receive: 

• Rent assistance during the pandemic under the California COVID-19 Rent Relief program
• Rent assistance under a U.S. Department of the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance funded-program

(1) CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program:

Qualified renters may be eligible to receive financial assistance for rent and utilities under the California COVID-19 Rent Relief program. 

A renter may apply for the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program if they:

• Have been impacted by COVID-19, 
• Are income eligible (calculated by the state when a person applies), and
• Need help with prior unpaid or future payments of rent or utilities. 

For eligible renters, this program helps households with:

• Unpaid rent payments dating back to April 1, 2020 and upcoming rent payments:
  • Eligible renters can receive unpaid rent assistance if: 

(a) their landlord participates in this program and is reimbursed for the renter’s unpaid rent, or 

(b) the renter’s landlord does not participate in the program and the renter applies for rent assistance on their own.

• Unpaid utility payments dating back to April 1, 2020 and future utility payments:
  • Eligible renters can receive utility payment assistance for prior or future payments, with 100% of the cost being covered.
  • However, the payment assistance is limited to a total of 12 months and will be paid directly to the utility provider.

Please note: 

• This program has been open since March 15, 2021 and will continue receiving applications on an ongoing basis until all funds are exhausted.
• Priority assistance will be given to income eligible households most at-risk of eviction.
• Assistance will be given regardless of immigration status, will not constitute “earned income,” and will not affect eligibility for state benefit assistance programs, like CalFresh or CalWORKS.
• If a landlord or renter applies for this program, once an application has been processed, both the landlord and renter will be notified of next steps.

For more information on this program and resources, please visit the program webpage here.

(2) U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program:

Through the U.S. Treasury’s ERA program, state and local governments have more funds to help both renters and landlords in need of rent payment assistance.

To find out what additional rent assistance programs are funded in your county, please visit the U.S.Treasury webpage here.   

For more information on: 

• State and local rental assistance programs, visit: 
  • National Low Income Housing Coalition’s State and Local Rental Assistance webpage here. 
• Tenant protections during the pandemic, visit:
  • California’s Housing Is Key resource webpage here.
  • Western Center on Law & Poverty’s “Understanding California’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act” webpage here.
  • Your local city and county websites. Many cities and counties have new laws that also protect and help tenants during the pandemic. Some protections have less requirements and last for a longer amount of time. 

Facing eviction or need more legal help as a tenant? 

• To find a lawyer, visit:
  • LawHelpCa.org
  • Contact your county’s local Bar Association’s lawyer referral service.

The State Bar of California Lawyer Referral Service at: 866-442-2520 (toll-free in California) or their online referral directory here. 

If you are a homeowner:

Most homeowners can pause or reduce their mortgage payments (“mortgage forbearance”) for a limited time if they are struggling because of COVID-19. 

If a homeowner is struggling to make their payments, their servicer must discuss relief options with them. 

(1) Mortgage forbearance:

• A homeowner can contact their mortgage servicer – the company they send their mortgage payment to – for mortgage forbearance options that may be available.
• Steps on how to pause/reduce mortgage payments can be found here.
• The deadline to request forbearance will depend on which provider backs the homeowner’s mortgage.
  • Backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac – no current deadline for initial forbearance
  • Not federally backed – depends on servicer
  • More information can be found here.

Homeowner’s rights if denied forbearance (protections in effect until December 1, 2021): 

1. If a homeowner’s servicer denies their forbearance request, the servicer must provide the homeowner with:

• A detailed description explaining why the request was denied, and
• Specific reasons for the denial. 

2. If a homeowner’s servicer explains that their request has errors or is missing information: 

• The homeowner has 21 days to correct those issues.

3. If a homeowner requests forbearance, their lender cannot begin foreclosing on their home or property until they:

• Contact the homeowner to request payment,
• Wait at least 30 days after requesting payment from the homeowner,
• File a declaration that they have contacted the homeowner to request payment,
• File the forbearance denial notice.

4. If a homeowner believes their lender is harming them by violating the law, they have the right to file a lawsuit against the lender.

If you need legal representation: 

• Visit LawHelpCa.org
• Contact your county’s local Bar Association’s lawyer referral service.
• The State Bar of California Lawyer Referral Service at: 866-442-2520 (toll-free in California) or their online referral directory here. 

For more information on mortgage forbearance and homeowner’s rights, please visit:

• California For All’s, Get Financial Help webpage here.
• California For All’s, Mortgage Forbearance Fact Sheet here.

If you are a homeowner and landlord:

Homeowner-landlords may also be eligible to receive financial assistance under the: 

• California COVID-19 Rent Relief program and/or 
• U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance program. 

(1) California COVID-19 Rent Relief program:

A landlord may apply for the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program if:

• They have a renter who is behind on their rent and need financial assistance to support their income loss.

A landlord may qualify for relief for their renter’s unpaid rent dating back to April 1, 2020 under the program if:

• Their renter’s household is income eligible (the state will calculate when the renter applies),
• All payments the landlord receives from the program must be used to satisfy their renter’s unpaid rent, and
• Their renter takes steps to verify that they meet eligibility requirements and sign their application.

Please note: 

• The program has been open since March 15, 2021 and will continue receiving applications on an ongoing basis until all funds are exhausted.
• Priority assistance will be given to income eligible households most at-risk of eviction.
• Assistance will be given regardless of immigration status, will not constitute “earned income,” and will not affect eligibility for state benefit assistance programs, like CalFresh or CalWORKS.
• If a landlord or renter applies for this program, once an application has been processed, both the landlord and renter will be notified of next steps.

For more information on this program and resources, please visit the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program webpage here. 

(2) U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program:

Through the U.S. Treasury’s ERA program, state and local governments have more funds to help both renters and landlords in need of rent payment assistance.

To find out what additional rent assistance programs are funded in your county, please visit the U.S.Treasury webpage here. 

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) protects against the shut-off of critical utilities—including electricity, gas, water, internet, landlines and cell phones. 

The CPUC recently announced that, as of June 24, 2021, utility companies under its jurisdiction will not be allowed to suspend or disconnect service for ratepayers (tenants or homeowners) who cannot pay their bills during the coronavirus pandemic for 3 months. 

For more information on the CPUC and its resources for ratepayers, please visit:

• CPUC’s main webpage here
• CPUC’s Financial Assistance, Savings, and Discounts webpage here
• CPUC’s Utility Bill Explanation, Pay-off Assistance, and Service Restart webpage here