IRVINE, Calif. (July 6, 2020): At a special meeting on June 23, the Irvine City Council reaffirmed a previously approved Rental Assistance Program to provide financial support to Irvine residents impacted by COVID-19.
The City of Irvine has committed $2,000,000 in one-time federal CARES Act funding to create the Rental Assistance Program. This program is only available to residential renters, and will exclude commercial, industrial or other types of business-related tenants.
Residents can apply for one of two grants:
- A maximum one-time $1,000 grant to provide 1,000 households with assistance to pay lease termination fees.
- A maximum one-time $1,000 grant to provide 1,000 households with rental payment assistance.
To qualify for participation in the Rental Assistance Program, residential renters must meet all of the following criteria:
- Must be a residential renter in the City of Irvine.
- Must have a valid lease.
- Renter must demonstrate a financial hardship as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Must not have received other rental assistance from any governmental agency.
“I continue to hear from our community about the hardships they face with job loss and financial pressures,” stated Mayor Christina L. Shea. “It is imperative that we help keep our residents in their homes. Through the rental assistance program, we will provide relief for those who have been adversely affected by the pandemic.”
The City of Irvine will be able to assist an estimated 2,000 residents through the Rental Assistance Program. The application period will open on Monday, July 13, 2020 at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 24, 2020. The program is funded with federal CARES Act funding that is expected to be disbursed by the State of California to the City later this month. Eligible households will be funded as State money comes in.
Upon closure of the application period, a lottery system will be used to select grant recipients, in order to provide equitable access for all Irvine renters. The City will pay the $1,000 rental assistance or lease cancellation grants directly to landlords for the eligible participants selected through the lottery.
The Irvine City Council also recently approved an additional $558,059 for emergency rent assistance and $1.2 million for emergency rent and food assistance with CARES Act funding the City will receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Information about these programs and how to apply will be provided as soon as funds become available to the City.
For additional information, please email RentalAssistance@cityofirvine.org or call 949-724-6185 during regular business hours.