3.4 21-0093 Subject: Emergency Rental Assistance Funding
From: Housing And Community Development Department
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution: 1) Accepting Emergency Rental Assistance Program ("ERAP") Funds In The Amount Of Twelve Million Eight Hundred Seventy Four Thousand Seven Hundred Sixty Four Dollars ($12,874,764) Awarded By The United States Department Of The Treasury ("US Treasury") To The City Of Oakland ("City") To Provide Financial Assistance, Including Rental Assistance, And Housing Stability Services To Eligible Households Impacted By COVID-19; 2) Appropriating The Twelve Million Eight Hundred Seventy Four Thousand Seven Hundred Sixty Four Dollars $12,874,764 In ERAP Funding From The US Treasury To Be Budgeted And Identified As One-Time Stimulus Funding In Fund 2071, Organization 89919, Project Code To Be Determined, Account 54011; 3) Authorizing The City Administrator Or Designee To Take All Steps Necessary For The City To Receive The ERAP Funds Awarded By The US Treasury, Including, But Not Limited To, Signing And Submitting The US Treasury Acceptance Of Award Terms Form, Without Returning To Council; 4) Awarding Grant Agreements For The Provision Of Rental Assistance To Eligible Households To Bay Area Community Services, Inc., Catholic Charities Of The Diocese Of Oakland, Doing Business As Catholic Charities East Bay, Centro Legal De La Raza, Inc. And Collective Legal Services - The Eviction Defense Center, A Non-Profit Law Corporation In A Total Amount Not To Exceed Nine Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($9,750,000); 5) Authorizing The City Administrator Or Designee To Select Additional ERAP Fund Sub-Recipients And To Award Grant Agreements To Said Sub-Recipients For The Provision Of Financial Assistance, Including Rental Assistance, And Housing Stability Services To Eligible Households, Without Returning To Council; And 6) Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend Grant Agreements Awarded Pursuant To This Resolution To Increase The Amount Of The Grants Or To Reallocate Funding Between Grants If Necessary, To Ensure Timely Expenditure Of ERAP Funds, Without Returning To Council; On The February 16, 2021 City Council Agenda On Consent
The Keep Oakland House (KOH) program can help house about 2,000 people with $1 million. That’s 24,000 people with $12 million. The moms 4 housing Magnolia Street home is a $ 1 million dollar housing project that houses no one during the pandemic -- After purchasing the house almost a year ago, the Oakland Land Trust kept it vacant. $12 million x 0 is ZERO. We should only fund efficient housing programs, not a empty promise that literally leave our homeless out in the cold on a rainy Christmas Day in 2020. Council members, please provide concrete performance metrics and accountability in the use of public funds! Please act on behalf of our most vulnerable!
This seems pretty amorphous for the disposition of $12 million dollars. Is this to pay for more hotels for COVID coverage for homeless? Is this intended to provide funding to the mentioned nonprofits? If so, based on what? Is it to pay rent for people who can show COVID impact, or do they not have to show COVID impact? Is it to pay rent to low-income landlords in danger of losing their property to loss of rents? How do you intend to be sure that the amounts go to the right places when the directions are so directionless? Serious money should be given serious thought and guidelines. We surely don't need the hole we are in to get any deeper.
The Keep Oakland House (KOH) program can help house about 2,000 people with $1 million. That’s 24,000 people with $12 million. The moms 4 housing Magnolia Street home is a $ 1 million dollar housing project that houses no one during the pandemic -- After purchasing the house almost a year ago, the Oakland Land Trust kept it vacant. $12 million x 0 is ZERO. We should only fund efficient housing programs, not a empty promise that literally leave our homeless out in the cold on a rainy Christmas Day in 2020. Council members, please provide concrete performance metrics and accountability in the use of public funds! Please act on behalf of our most vulnerable!
This seems pretty amorphous for the disposition of $12 million dollars. Is this to pay for more hotels for COVID coverage for homeless? Is this intended to provide funding to the mentioned nonprofits? If so, based on what? Is it to pay rent for people who can show COVID impact, or do they not have to show COVID impact? Is it to pay rent to low-income landlords in danger of losing their property to loss of rents? How do you intend to be sure that the amounts go to the right places when the directions are so directionless? Serious money should be given serious thought and guidelines. We surely don't need the hole we are in to get any deeper.