HomeMy WebLinkAboutMaribel Nunez_ sb city council Public comments_ non agenda item CDBG and ESG CV funds for rental assistance_RedactedFrom:Maribel Nunez
To:Public Comments (publiccomments@sbcity.org); Gretel Noble
Subject:sb city council Public comments: non agenda item CDBG and ESG CV funds for rental assistance
Date:Wednesday, July 1, 2020 3:46:07 PM
Hello,
My name is Maribel Nunez from Inland Equity Partnership coalition that includes CHIRLA,
ACLU Southern California, TODEC Legal Center, UFCW, Option House Inc. Time For
Change Foundation, Chicano Latino Caucus of San Bernardino County, Asian Pacific
American Labor Alliance Inland Empire Chapter, SEIU 2015, Sierra Club San Gorgonio
Chapter, California Alliance for Retired Americans, Inland Empire chapter, and many other
organizations.
Our coalition will be submitting public comments via e-mail and want to submit a letter of
support to use new CDBG Covid Virus and Emergency Solutions Grant related funds for
rental assistance for San Bernardino City residents impacted due to COVID 19. I know the
City of San Bernardino received $2,000,000 of CDBG CV Funds (CARES) and ESG
$4,000,000.
Specific asks:
-Rental assistance
-administered by culturally competent providers (serve undocumented immigrants and people that
have criminal records) like Catholic Charities San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Community
Action Partnership San Bernardino and others. The city doesn’t administer cdbg funds for
services.
-rental assistance for at least $1,295 per family for three months rent
July 1, 2020
To :
First Ward: Theodore Sanchez
Second Ward: Sandra Ibarra
Third Ward: Juan Figueroa
Fourth Ward: Fred Shorett
Fifth Ward: Henry Nickel
Sixth Ward: Mayor Pro Tem Bessine L. Richard
Seventh Ward: James L. Mulvihill
San Bernardino City Council:
We, the undersigned, in collaboration with regional community organizations, respectfully urge the
San Bernardino City Council, to develop a coordinated rent relief payment program with landlords
and residential tenants. At the State level, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of
emergency and recommended for a moratorium against evictions. As result, it is upto the cities
and county to clarify and provide those landlord and rent protections. Most renters are not going to
know that there is a court ordered moratorium on evictions in place or that they were required to
submit a letter to their landlord. The National Multifamily Housing Council reports that 31% of
renters, nationwide, have not paid their April rent. The majority of renters do not fight an eviction in
court and will simply comply with a notice from a landlord. The number of reported people who
have been out of work because of the epidemic and the economic crisis is going to grow even
more in the coming weeks. The number of people that are going to be made homeless because of
this will be staggering when the moratorium on evictions ends and people who have been out of
work for months are required to come up with back rent. As the City of San Bernardino, we
should have the economic incentive for people to stay in their homes. We have some of our San
Bernardino residents that are employed or under employed that have the opportunity to work as
teleworkers. By having them be able to stay in their homes, will allow them to work from home.
Some of the suggested solutions and language drawn from other jurisdictions is below. We urge
you to join other jurisdictions.
We ask at the San Bernardino City level to pass an ordinance that will do the following:
Through new Community Development Block Grants Covid Virus and Emergency Solutions
Grant Covid Virus related funds to create a San Bernardino City level rent relief program
for landlords for residential tenants that have been financially impacted due to COVID 19
Best,
Maribel Nunez
Inland Equity Partnership Executive Director