Loading...
20210310 VHC Agenda Packet Agenda City of Vernon Regular Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 06:00 PM City Hall, Council Chamber 4305 Santa Fe Avenue Vernon, California Frank Gaviña, Chair Steven Froberg, Vice Chair Ronit Edry, Commissioner Steve Hermon, Commissioner Jorge Nevarez Jr., Commissioner Marlene Ybarra, Commissioner Melissa Ybarra, Commissioner SPECIAL REMOTE PROTOCOLS In accordance with Governor Newsom's Executive Order N -29-20, this will be a teleconference meeting without a physical location to help stop the spread of COVID -19. This meeting will be conducted entirely by remote participation via Zoom Webinar. The public is encouraged to view the meeting at www.cityofvernon.org/webinar-vhc or by calling (408) 638-0968, Meeting ID 933-3411-9489#. You may submit comments to PublicComment@ci.vernon.ca.us with the subject line “March 10, 2021 City of Vernon Regular Housing Commission Meeting Public Comment Item #__.” Comments received prior to 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 10, 2021, will be read into the record. CALL TO ORDER FLAG SALUTE ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT At this time the public is encouraged to address the Vernon Housing Commission on any matter that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission. The public wi ll also be given a chance to comment on matters which are on the posted agenda during Commission deliberation on those specific matters. Regular Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Agenda March 10, 2021 Page 2 of 2 CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed on the Consent Calendar are to be approved with one motion. Items may be removed from the Consent Calendar by any member of the Commission. Those items removed will be considered immediately after the Consent Calendar. 1. City Clerk Approval of Minutes Recommendation: Approve the January 27, 2021 Special Vernon Housing Commission meeting minutes. 1. 20210127 VHC Minutes 2. City Administration Update on Temporary Emergency Moratoria and COVID-19 Renter/Landlord Legislation Recommendation: Receive and file the update. NEW BUSINESS 3. Public Works Quarterly City Housing Report Recommendation: Receive and file the March 2021 Quarterly City Housing Report 1. March 2021 Quarterly City Housing Report 4. City Administration State Rental Assistance Program Recommendation: Evaluate the options available for state rental assistance and recommend a course of action for City Council which specifies whether: a) the City, as a landlord, applies for funding directly from the state on the tenant's behalf; or b) that the tenant appl ies directly for rental assistance with guidance from the City. 1. State Rental Assistance Program FAQ ORAL REPORTS Brief reports, announcements, or directives to staff. Next regular meeting: Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT I hereby certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California, that the foregoing agenda was posted in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Regular and Adjourned Regular meeting agendas may be amended up to 72 hours prior to the meeting. Dated March 4, 2021. Sandra Dolson, Administrative Secretary Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-450-2021 Submitted by: Sandra Dolson Submitting Department: City Clerk Meeting Date: March 10, 2021 SUBJECT Approval of Minutes Recommendation: Approve the January 27, 2021 Special Vernon Housing Commission meeting minutes. Background: Staff has prepared and hereby submits the minutes for approval. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: 1. 20210127 VHC Minutes MINUTES VERNON HOUSING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 COUNCIL CHAMBER, 4305 SANTA FE AVENUE CALL TO ORDER Chair Gaviña called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. FLAG SALUTE Commissioner Marlene Ybarra led the Flag Salute. ROLL CALL PRESENT:Frank Gaviña, Chair (via remote access) Steven Froberg, Vice Chair (via remote access) Ronit Edry, Commissioner (via remote access) Steve Hermon, Commissioner (via remote access) Jorge Nevarez Jr., Commissioner (via remote access) Marlene Ybarra, Commissioner (via remote access) Melissa Ybarra, Commissioner (via remote access) STAFF PRESENT: Carlos Fandino, City Administrator (via remote access) Dan Wall, Public Works Director (via remote access) Zaynah Moussa, Senior Deputy City Attorney (via remote access) Lisa Pope, City Clerk (via remote access) APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Commissioner Melissa Ybarra moved and Commissioner Hermon seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously. PUBLIC COMMENT Carol Menke suggested the appliance policy apply only to the three remaining houses that had not been remodeled. She suggested alternative cost savings measures or reduction in vacancy time. She stated policies should be fair and equitable. Special Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 3 January 27, 2021 CONSENT CALENDAR MOTION Commisisoner Melissa Ybarra moved and Commissioner Edry seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously. The Consent Calendar consisted of the following item: 1.City Housing Quarterly Report Update Recommendation: Receive and file an update to the December 2020 City Housing Quarterly Report. NEW BUSINESS 2.City-owned Housing Appliance Policy Recommendation: Adopt Policy on Providing Appliances in City-Owned Housing Units Public Works Director Wall presented the staff report. The Commisison discussed the suggestion to turn over the appliances to the tenants providing a credit for taking over maintenance. In response to Commission questions, Public Works Director Wall indicated an equitable value would have to be determined and the tenant would have to agree. He stated the month to month leases carried the same provisions as the original lease. Senior Deputy City Attorney Moussa explaind that a change in terms could not be made unilateraly and would have to be negotiated. The Commission discussed the units that would be impacted. MOTION Commissioner Melissa Ybarra moved and Commissioner Nevarez seconded a motion to adopt the policy on providing appliances in City-owned housing units, amended to reflect that existing tenants retain the full suite of appliances and new tenants would receive refrigerator and stove. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously. ORAL REPORTS City Clerk Pope reported on the Bulky Item Pick-Up event on January 28, 2021 Special Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 3 January 27, 2021 ADJOURNMENT With no further business, Chair Gaviña adjourned the meeting at 6:35 p.m. ________________________ FRANK GAVIÑA, Chair ATTEST: _________________________ LISA POPE, City Clerk (seal) Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-535-2021 Submitted by: Diana Figueroa Submitting Department: City Administration Meeting Date: March 10, 2021 SUBJECT Update on Temporary Emergency Moratoria and COVID-19 Renter/Landlord Legislation Recommendation: Receive and file the update. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant effect on the national, regional, and local economy resulting in economic hardship related to layoffs, COVID-19 affected quarantines, and/or reduced work hours for a significant percentage of the nation’s workforce. In response, federal, state, and local governments have enacted policies to protect those who are vulnerable to the sudden and immediate loss of income, and who are navigating a means to survive the fiscal impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. As reported previously, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 (CTRA), Assembly Bill (AB) 3088, was passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 31, 2020. The CTRA enacts substantial protections from evictions for all residents, including prohibitions on ever evicting a resident who has failed to make specified rental payments provided certain requirements are met. Recently passed state legislation, specifically Senate Bill (SB) 89 and SB 91, build upon AB 3088 requirements and restrictions. Additionally, Los Angeles County continues to modify its guidelines which have an impact on the manner in which evictions and the pursuit of past due rent may be handled by landlords. Since the City continues to have one delinquent tenant who owes a significant amount of rent, City Administration and the City Attorney's Office have been tracking the latest legislation to thoroughly understand the City’s limitations as a landlord under any new relevant laws, in an effort to evaluate all potential next steps. A summary of the various subjects addressed by SB 89 and SB 91 is provided below: New Tenant’s Bill of Rights SB 91 includes new Tenant’s bill of rights under California’s Code of Civil Procedure which must be sent to the delinquent tenant prior to February 28, 2021. This includes information on a new rental assistance program, new protected and transition period back rent statements, and a COVID-19 declaration form. An affected tenant should sign and return the declaration to the City within 15 working days. Vernon's single delinquent tenant did receive electronic and hard copies of the updated notice package on February 24, 2021. SB 91 also pushes out several dates as follows: The moratorium now covers rental debts from March 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 *Protected Time Period = March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020 *Transition Time Period = September 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 *25% of Transition Period rent due June 30, 2021 *Unlawful detainer moratorium ends July 1, 2021 Rental Assistance Landlords now must offer tenants help in obtaining rental assistance per the new State program approved under SB 91 and SB 89. Per SB 91, CA Civil Code section 1947.3 now requires that Landlords make “a good faith effort to investigate whether governmental rental assistance is available to the tenant, seek governmental rental assistance for the tenant, or cooperate with the tenant’s efforts to obtain rental assistance from any governmental entity or other third party.” Action for recovery of COVID Rental Debt As noted above, actions for recovery of COVID Rental Debt may begin on July 1, 2021. These actions may be brought in civil court or small claims court. Other provisions in SB 91 include: *Penalties for Landlords turning off utilities in order to assist in evicting a tenant, have increased to $1,000-$2,500 *Housing providers cannot use alleged COVID Rental Debt as a negative factor in evaluating potential tenants The Los Angeles County executive order for a temporary moratorium on evictions in parts of Los Angeles County in response to the COVID-19 health emergency will remain in place until at least June 30, 2021. As a reminder, this temporary eviction moratorium covers all residential and commercial tenants in Los Angeles County, except those who live or conduct business in cities that have already enacted their own eviction moratoria. The moratorium includes a ban on evictions for nonpayment of rent, if the tenant can show they have been financially impacted by the health emergency, among other protections. Since Vernon’s Emergency Ordinance No. 1268 has expired, residential tenants in Vernon are protected under the Los Angeles County order. The safety and welfare of our Vernon community remains of paramount importance. City staff will continue to explore ways in which to support the Vernon community. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-534-2021 Submitted by: Daniel Wall Submitting Department: Public Works Meeting Date: March 10, 2021 SUBJECT Quarterly City Housing Report Recommendation: Receive and file the March 2021 Quarterly City Housing Report Background: Staff will present the Quarterly City Housing Report for the period from December 2020 through February 2021. The report highlights rent, occupancy, inspections and repairs, and advertising. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: 1. March 2021 Quarterly City Housing Report Housing Commission March 10, 2021 Daniel Wall - Director of Public Works Quarterly Report 2 Housing Commision Visit 3361 Fruitland - 10/14/2020 Full Remodel 12/11/2020 Overview 1.Rent Register 2.Occupancy 3.Inspections 4.Advertising 5.Closing 4 Rent Register 5 With the exception of one unit, rents are current. City undertaking a COVID-19 compliant notice process and evaluating next steps. Outstanding balance as of 3/1/2021 $9,412.46. Rent Increase Rent increase notices were mailed on 11/9/2020. A CPI based increase of 1.1% applied across all month-to-month occupancies will take effect January 1, 2020. Reminder notices scheduled for 12/15/2020. 6 Occupancy Block Properties Occupied Unoccupied Furlong 10 9 4324 Furlong* 50th 8 8 0 - Full Fruitland 6 5 3361 Fruitland** Vernon 2 2 0 - Full Notes. *Furlong property pending relocation of existing tenant and remodeling. This unit is expected to become available for lease in Fall 2021. **Fruitland property currently in the leasing process. Inspections The inspections scheduled for April 2020 were postponed due to COVID-19 concerns and were later performed in November 2020. Starting February 2021, crews addressed the items identified in the November inspections. As of 3/1/2021, the repairs on the 50th Street units have been completed. Work is on-going on the Furlong and Fruitland units. 8 Advertising ●Advertising Continues... ○City Website ○Craigslist ○Chamber of Commerce ○Got Housing Campaign ■Social Media ■Bus Stops ■Direct Outreach / Banners ●Interest Forms Received – 48 (+17 since last reported) ●Housing Transfer Requests - 2 9 Public Works actively manages City of Vernon owned housing. Public Works... 1. mitigates COVID-19 financial impact and maintains proactive, legally compliant and humanitarian communications with tenants, 2. refurbishes housing as it becomes vacant, 3. fills vacancies, 4. performs bi-annual property inspections, and 5.manages properties within budget. ...Providing Outstanding Service to the City of Vernon Housing Community. 10 In Closing Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-533-2021 Submitted by: Diana Figueroa Submitting Department: City Administration Meeting Date: March 10, 2021 SUBJECT State Rental Assistance Program Recommendation: Evaluate the options available for state rental assistance and recommend a course of action for City Council which specifies whether: a) the City, as a landlord, applies for funding directly from the state on the tenant's behalf; or b) that the tenant applies directly for rental assistance with guidance from the City. Background: On March 14, 2020, the City of Vernon declared a local emergency due to the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the national, regional, and local economy resulting in economic hardship related to layoffs, COVID-19 affected quarantines, and/or reduced work hours for a significant percentage of the nation’s workforce. The State has taken action to protect residential renters. The COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 (CTRA), enacted by Assembly Bill (AB) 3088, was passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 31, 2020. The CTRA enacted substantial protections from evictions for all residents, including prohibitions on ever evicting a resident who has failed to make specified rental payments provided certain requirements are met. Since, there has been additional legislation - specifically Senate Bill (SB) 91 - that builds upon AB 3088 requirements and restrictions. SB 91 Overview *Passed January 28, 2021, signed January 29, 2021. *Extends key tenant and property owner protection provisions provided by AB 3088 (Chapter 37, Statutes of 2020). *Provides new protections for tenants impacted by COVID-19, including debt treatment and civil procedures. *Appropriates $1.5 billion for the State Rental Assistance Program. As noted above, among the many provisions of state policy is the requirement for landlords to offer their tenants help in obtaining rental assistance. Per SB 91, California Civil Code section 1947.3 now requires that Landlords make “a good faith effort to investigate whether governmental rental assistance is available to the tenant, seek governmental rental assistance for the tenant, or cooperate with the tenant’s efforts to obtain rental assistance from any governmental entity or other third party.” Direct funding from the California State Rental Assistance Program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is available to tenants in City-owned housing that are experiencing COVID-19 related financial hardship and who owe rental arrears. Localities that serve a population under 200,000 must seek rental assistance through the HCD which will begin accepting applications in March of 2021. Over the course of the emergency, there have been instances where residents in City-owned properties have encountered difficulties with paying their rent. SB 91 allows the City to seek rental assistance from the state on behalf of any tenant that has rental debt, and may recover 80% of the back rent payment that is due. It is important to note that if a landlord accepts an 80% back rent payment directly from the State Rental Assistance Program, the remaining 20% must be waived and the landlord must consider the 80% as payment in full. Tenants may also apply directly for rental assistance, but they can only receive 25% of their rent in arrears from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. It is suggested that the Vernon Housing Commission (VHC) provide a recommended course of action for City Council which specifies whether (a) the City, as a landlord, applies for funding directly from the state on the tenant's behalf, or (b) that the tenant applies directly for rental assistance with guidance from the City. Staff will proceed in accordance with the recommendation provided by the Vernon Housing Commission. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: 1. State Rental Assistance Program FAQ 1 State Rental Assistance Program FAQs for Local Government February 9, 2021 Eviction Protection What does a tenant need to do to be protected from eviction for non-payment of rent under SB 91? • Return a declaration of COVID-19 related financial distress, signed under penalty of perjury, and returned within 15 business days of receiving a notice to "pay or quit." The landlord may request that the declaration be filled out monthly with every notice to “pay or quit.” • Pay 25% of the total rental arrears owed between September 2020 and June 2021 by June 30, 2021. • Please note, this payment does NOT need to be made monthly. The tenant household only needs to pay 25% or more of the total rental arrears owed between September 2020 and June 2021 by June 30, 2021. What type of eviction(s) does SB 91 protect against? • Tenants who both pay 25% of their rent owed between September 2020 and June 2021 by June 30, 2021 and provide their landlord a declaration of COVID-19 financial distress are forever protected from eviction for non- payment of rent for their rent due between September 2020 and June 2021. • SB 91 does not protect tenants against lawful "Just Cause" evictions for legally valid reasons other than non-payment of rent (for example: health and safety violations or destruction of property). Eligible Grantees for State Block Grants Which jurisdictions are eligible to request a State Block Grant? • California cities or counties with populations above 200,000. Can cities and counties with populations under 200K request a State Block Grant? • No. Counties under 200,000, and the cities within them, will be served via the State’s Rental Assistance Program. A city within a county under 200,000 does not need to take any action to ensure they are served by the State’s Rental Assistance Program. 2 • For more information about how much assistance a given city or county under 200,000 can expect, please consult the following resource https://www.bcsh.ca.gov/covidrelief/assistance_reservation_table.pdf. My city and county both have populations above 200K, and we both received direct federal allocations. Do we both have to select a State Block Grant if one or both of us want one? • No, each eligible city and county with a population above 200,000 can make their own decision as to whether they want a State Block Grant. How does an eligible city or county request a State Block Grant? • Please review the following resource https://www.bcsh.ca.gov/covidrelief/emerg_rental_asst_eoi.pdf. Why has the State encouraged jurisdictions to choose Option A (State Rental Assistance Program) or B (Block Grant Option) over Option C (Having the state allocation distributed through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and having the jurisdiction distribute their federal allocation themselves)? • While Option C may be preferred by some jurisdictions, it also poses considerable drawbacks for California residents, including the following: o Jurisdictions that choose Option C may run into a delay in processing of applications for state assistance due to the need to avoid the duplication of financial assistance as provided under federal law. o It is challenging for those most in need of assistance to get clear, accurate, consistent, and accessible information about assistance available to them. Having multiple rental assistance programs with different requirements, compensation, messaging, and application portals is likely to add an additional barrier to these households’ ability to access assistance. What are the risks associated with choosing Option C? • Every federal program must adhere to the following three levels of review: 3 o Does the proposed activity meet the requirements under the Uniform Guidance per 2CRF 200 that is applicable to all federal funds (Office of Management and Budget)? o Does the proposed activity meet the requirements to prevent duplication of benefit? o Does the proposed activity meet the requirements to prevent fraud? • Option C creates an option for a locally run program to run concurrently with the State run program. By choosing this option, this means that two federal recipients (local and State) are running two separate programs with differing rules. If there is not a way to differentiate the eligible populations served, or the time period of service, or geographical location of eligible recipients, this creates a competition that then must demonstrate explicitly how such an activity meets the above requirements. In most cases, running two such programs targeting the same population, running at the same time, in the same geography will fail to meet the first requirement under the Uniform Guidance. • The State cannot (nor the locality), knowingly, disburse funds that fail any of the three tests above. This would mean the delay of the deployment of funds at minimum. Given the timelines involved, a delay in the deployment of funds likely means that the locality cannot realize the full value of the funds assigned to its geography as the state must ensure overall compliance with the commitment and expenditure requirements. This means funds will be reallocated where they can be committed and expended in other locations throughout the State. The paramount goal of the State Rental Assistance Program is to ensure the full compliance of the program with the federal provisions and to not allow any recapture of funds that could serve an eligible state recipient. Rules and Guidelines Around State Block Granted Funds What rules and restrictions must an eligible grantee follow to administer State funds from a State Block Grant? • All requirements provided in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. 4 • All current and future program guidance from the U.S Department of the Treasury. • All requirements provided in SB 91. • All current and future program guidance provided by the Department of Housing and Community Development. • All other applicable federal and state laws. Can my eligible city or county administer our direct funds from the U.S Department of the Treasury under different rules and guidelines than the State Rental Assistance Program and still receive and utilize a State Block Grant? • No. Pursuant to SB 91, a local jurisdiction may only receive a state block grant if it agrees to operate its local rental assistance program in conformity with the state’s rental assistance program. The intent of this requirement is to create program alignment throughout the state, including clarity of messaging and requirements, to the benefit of both households and landlords alike. Additional details on state guidance for a conforming local rental assistance program can be found here. Utility Arrears Are Utility arrears covered by the Emergency Rental Assistance program or for block granted funds? • Yes. Utility assistance, both for arrears and prospective payments, are an eligible use. Additional details on the administration of utility assistance will be provided in HCD program guidelines that will be available soon. Geographic and Racial Equity How will the State’s Rental Assistance Program serve the most vulnerable households? • Accepting inclusive documentation to help applicants that are most in need qualify for assistance. • Robust technical assistance, including a call center and multilingual assistance • Robust public outreach and education campaign 5 • Robust fraud protections to ensure resources are not wasted. • Prioritization of households at or below 50% AMI • Clear program structure informed by extensive communication with stakeholders and designed to ensure those most in need are prioritized for assistance. • Data driven targeting of funds to individuals and communities hardest hit by COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 related job losses. If a jurisdiction joins the Statewide program, how will funding be distributed? • Funds administered through the State’s Rental Assistance Program will be reserved and solely expended on behalf of eligible households within the participating jurisdiction for that jurisdiction, as outlined in the Funding Distribution Table. The State will distribute funds within the three round structure established by SB 91. How is 'disproportionately impacted by COVID-19' defined? • This factor will be based on data driven tools such as the “Geographies of Need” mapping system that is publicly available on the Office of Planning Research (OPR) website. The map factors in cost-burdened renters, unemployment, race, CA Hard to Count Index, among other factors. Local jurisdictions may also have localized data and information that can support this determination. • The map and additional information can be found here https://gov- opr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f66e0eeb84a54 4719ae2f1fbbf9df55f. Administrative Fees How does participation in the Block Grant Program impact an eligible grantee's administrative fee from their State allocation? • Under Option B (Block Grant/ Self-Administered Program) HCD retains 1.5% of the state share for administration and distributes the remaining 8.5% to the City/County to administer the Block Grant. 6 How does participation in the State’s Rental Assistance Program impact an eligible grantees administrative fee provided from their federal allocation? • Under Option A (State Administered Rental Assistance Program), the City or County retains 1.5% of their direct federal allocation to support local administration, coordination, communication, technical assistance, etc. Duplication of Benefits How will the State’s Rental Assistance Program coordinate duplication of benefits for in progress rental assistance programs? • Tackling this will require coordination between our contracted Program Implementer and the given jurisdiction to ensure no duplication of assistance. • We also anticipate that screening questions would be added to the application process to identify whether applicants have received other local, state or federal housing assistance (and the costs they were applied to). Will the Cities and Counties have access to the State Rental Assistance database or portal? • To ensure personally identifiable information is protected, jurisdictions who choose Option C will not be given direct access to the State Rental Assistance Program’s database or portal. Landlord and Tenant Eligibility under the State’s Rental Assistance Program and State Block Grant Program Are undocumented or less documented landlords and tenants available for rental assistance? • Yes. The tenant household must only meet program eligibility requirements, which does not include a prohibition based on citizenship status. Are mobilehome renters and landlords eligible for rental assistance? • Yes. The tenant household must only meet program eligibility requirements, which does not include a prohibition based on property type. 7 How can I determine the Area Median Income (AMI) to evaluate eligibility for assistance? • The following document contains AMI guidelines to assist you in evaluating eligibility: • https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html What timeframe is income eligibility for the program based on? • For prospective (payments of future rent), income eligibility is based both on the tenant's current income and monthly income when they are applying for assistance. • For arrears, income eligibility is the tenant's 2020 income. Landlord and Tenant Rental Assistance Program Payment Receipt or Refusal Is there any requirement that a property owner must accept compensation for 80% of their tenant arrears and forgive the additional amount? • No. State Rental Assistance Program Rounds The State’s Rental Assistance Program uses three 'rounds' of applications and payments. How will these rounds work? • Landlords and tenants can begin applying to the program in mid-March and continue to apply throughout the duration of the program. • The funding rounds organize the applications based on household Area Median Income (AMI) to help ensure those most in need receive assistance. • The focus of round 1 is individuals under 50% AMI. In comparison, applicants from eligible households 50-80% AMI will have their application placed in Round 3. • Because the program takes applications on a rolling basis, eligible households under 50% AMI may also receive assistance in Round 3.