PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Development Services Department is extending the deadline for residential landlords and tenants to submit applications for the Long Beach Emergency Rental Assistance Program (LB-ERAP) to June 11, 2021. The previous deadline for the new program approved in March was May 12, 2021.

“We are very thankful that Governor Newsom is making tenant assistance a priority and these additional resources and time will allow more folks to get support,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. 

All LB-ERAP applications can be submitted via an online information and service portal at longbeach.gov/erap. The program, funded through the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, provides rental assistance to residential landlords and income-eligible tenants in Long Beach who have experienced financial loss or economic hardship due to COVID-19. In addition, applicants who only need assistance with utility payments may also apply for LB-ERAP funding.

LB-ERAP implements the tenant protection laws enacted by the State of California. However, 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 assistance is located in Long Beach.

To be eligible, residential tenants must rent in Long Beach and meet the following criteria:

• The household has a household income at or below 80% of the area median income.
• One or more individuals within the household has experienced a financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. 

Other program details are as follows:

• The program will prioritize households at or below 50% of the area median income.
• The program will prioritize assisting households with past due rents and lower-income tenants who have been unemployed for 90 days or more and who are at risk of housing instability.
• The program will prioritize paying outstanding past due rent and utilities before addressing future rents and utility payments.
• Landlords with one or more eligible tenants can apply to get reimbursed for 80 percent of each eligible tenant’s unpaid rent between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, if they agree to waive the remaining 20 percent of unpaid rent for that specific time period.
• If a landlord is applying on behalf of their tenant, the tenant must also complete the application and provide necessary documentation.
• If a tenant is eligible but their landlord chooses not to participate in LB-ERAP, they may apply on their own for 25 percent of the unpaid rent between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
• LB-ERAP will help income-eligible tenants pay utilities, both for past due bills and future payments. Tenants can also apply for up to 25 percent of their rent for up to three months of future rent. 

The extension of the LB-ERAP is in response to a second round of funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The City is expected to receive roughly $21.2 million, including funding set aside specifically for very low-income renter households. This additional funding brings the City’s total for rental assistance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to more than $56 million, $5.3 million of which is paid to qualified tenants through the Long Beach Cares Rental Assistance Program while $28 million is designated for distribution to current LB-ERAP applicants. The City is actively working with State partners to identify additional funding opportunities available through State funding, like the first round of funding.

The City began accepting applications for the LB-ERAP on April 13, 2021, with payments expected to begin this month. The current program prioritizes rental and utility arrears, while City staff continue to identify the most effective use of the additional funding to meet the greatest need for Long Beach renters and landlords, in alignment with Treasury and State guidelines.

To learn more about the LB-ERAP’s various income and eligibility guidelines, visit longbeach.gov/erap.

For additional information about housing in Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/lbds or view the City’s Resources for Homeowners, Renters and Landlords.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.