Recommendation to request City Manager to report back to the City Council on how Long Beach households will be able to utilize the L.A. County Countywide Emergency Rental Assistance Program when it is implemented, and assess the feasibility of utilizing additional federal, state and private funding sources to leverage for additional Long Beach families in financial need to be able to obtain emergency rental assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.
Communication from Councilman Austin, Councilwoman Zendaya's, Councilwoman Price, Vice Mayor Andrew's recommendation to request city manager to report back on how Long Beach households will be able to utilize the L.A. County Countywide Emergency Rental Assistance Program when it's implemented. Thank you. I'll turn this over to Councilmember Austin. Well, thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I want to thank my colleagues, council members, and they have praised Virginia Andrews for signing on. This is an extension of the spirit of the economic relief that this country has already committed to in terms of protecting families who've been devastated by this economic fallout of COVID 19. Obviously, we're experiencing a public health emergency, but this is also an economic crisis as well. So our citizens passed an eviction moratorium or other economic relief to protect workers and renters who are unable to pay their rent over the long term. However, this this measure protects households during the crisis. This will require, as we all know, to pay back rent or do in the months following this emergency order is lifted. There's a significant financial burden on these families that we know. We know this will be the case. We. We have a significant number and it's been echoed many times. Roughly 60% or more of our population are renters in the city. And this puts this tremendous, tremendous strain on the entire community. Not only are families facing tremendous burdens pass well, but also our housing providers and landlords are property owners who are relying on rental income to support their families, their families, as well as significantly impacted by the crisis. And so lastly, what really give close to the Board of Supervisors, L.A. County Board of Supervisors, who unanimously approved the motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and her party wide emergency rental assistance program. This to me, when I first saw this exactly when when proposal, the proposed program would provide up to $1,000 a month for three months to renters who have lost income due to the crisis. The town was looking at CTG and other federal funding to help fund this program. This proposal, my opinion, as I said, is a win win solution that would take a major step in providing housing stability as we get through this crisis. The Board of Supervisors asked for an implementation plan within 30 days, which means they will be coming back within the next few weeks. I'd like to request that our city manager look at the county's recommendation to when it becomes available and see how long these families can best utilize this program. We also expect the need to likely exceed the allocating resources. So we're also asking the manager to look at federal, state private funds that would allow us to see how we can leverage those funds, including city dollars that lawmakers will be receiving as part of the federal cares out to offer emergency rental assistance to additional mortgage. How is it possible that you won't stop the spread of coronavirus? We're also putting a priority on how we pull together the community to get through the difficult economic times for so many of our families are experiencing. This will be another tool that we can help allies to help in this effort. So I would ask my colleagues to support this this measure. Again, this is in line in spirit with our existing economic relief package. Thanks. Thank you. Councilman, I have a second by Councilman Price. Councilman. Thank you very much. And thank you very much, Councilman Austin, for bringing this item forward. I echo your comments completely. I'm grateful that you brought this item so early, because one of the things that we have seen is that the small business owners with the federal relief is that so much of it had to do with the timing that the applications went in. So if we're able to be in a position as a city to understand what the program is going to be and how our residents can access those funds early, we'll be putting them in a better position for hopefully getting the grants that they need without doing so at a time when the funds, whatever funds are identified, are depleted. So I think that's really great. I think for me, the biggest concern I have is I think it's great that rent has been deferred in situations where people can't make their rent due to COVID 19. I'm glad that we've offered that deferment, but I worry about the back rent and how difficult that's going to be for people to pay. You know, as a commercial property tenant for small business, I know that the backdrop we're going to have to pay is it's really going to be backbreaking. I mean, it's impossible to put that kind of burden on a small business. I can only imagine how difficult that will be for families, many of whom are out of jobs. So anything that we can do to try to provide that support through a grant money I think is really good and I'm glad we're doing it early . So thank you, Councilman Austin. Thank you, Councilwoman. Vice Mayor Andrew. You know, the leadership on the podium. You know this you know, I'm looking at all of this. And I think every day, you know, there seems to be one new way I projects and help, you know, resources or assistance. And I think we intend here to be what we've been we've had $10 coming into the city of Long Beach. Know, I am fully supportive of this argument. I ask that we also take a look at that, you know, to see the big dollars, whereas, you know, currently than what we plan on doing with them in any way we can move some of these priorities, you know, in light of this crisis, that would be something I would really be interested in, you know, hearing about. So I want to thank you for bringing this up, Mrs. Price. And speaking of everybody's been affected that need and said, you know I heard in situations do I think this is going to be something that we will be able to help someone else if this can come to fruition? Thank you again, Councilman. Awesome. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Councilman. Super now. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Austin, for bringing this item forward. I fully support it. I did have a question and I communicated with the city manager on this today and we don't know what the answer is. So I guess this would be in terms of a friendly. I would like to ask is would the community development block grant funds go directly to the landlords? And we don't know if we have to follow the lead of L.A. County. I assume so. I'd like to ask that that be added to the study. Open to the staff. It's suggested as a friendly and certainly open for staff looking at all possibilities for this. This was fun to work. Right. And and when they come back to give the city council an opportunity to provide that type of direction. So we don't know at this point. I don't know if we know enough to be able to prescribe actually how we're going to make such expenditures. But I'm not opposed to it. I think it's worth looking at because it will help all parties involved. Right. Okay. Well, at the time, I think that's a very good point as we don't really know the answer to this super nice question right now because we haven't seen the report back from the accounting, though. Exactly how it gets paid or who it goes to is a key question, and we would certainly include that. Thank you. That's all I have. Thanks. Thank you. Councilwoman Zendejas. Thank you. And thank you. Remember Aspen and all the cosigners on this? I think this is important here. I absolutely listened to me from Stephanie's point back on this policy. The majority of Long Beach, this is open truth. And this is especially true in the first district. We have a higher percent of renters. With that being said, we also have a high percentage of property owners. And we believe that our renters are going to be affected by not being able to pay rent. And so that trickles out. And so that means that our property owners will also be affected by not being able to receive the rent that they are owed. So I think this is very good for us to take a look at this. Like Councilmember, I said. This. Early on so that we can make sure that we all come out stronger at the end. So I'm super excited to see what the next steps are obsessed. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilmember Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to chime in and say thank you to Councilman Austin and the COSIGNERS for introducing this motion. I think it's in alignment with what the city council has taken on in the last few weeks, and it's an important program. I think taking a look at what the county does and understanding that, you know, I completely agree with council members, places and us that we need to get to the table and understand just how far this will go. I know that we we have a number of people who are who are struggling. So I want to make sure that whatever we do is we're able to kind of stretch it or spread it out. I'm pretty sure we won't be able to cover, like, all right. So whatever the criteria is, let's figure out how we target those who need it, those who maybe have a gap and just need to close the gap to make make, you know, make their landlords whole. People who have, you know, demonstrated the faith payment plan. You know, I just want to make sure that we have some criteria that really rewards rewards, you know, people's willingness to really kind of work together with landlords and get it and get it done. I also want to say, I know that, you know, we are going to look at additional resources and funds. I know that CDBG, for example, could be a good use for this. I also know that it's going to be tough looking at what was going to be required to get some of these businesses back open, particularly the ones on CDBG corridors. And so we need to keep in mind that we have to look at. So our eviction moratorium was both for commercial and for residential. And I think as we think about what resources we have, we should think about some some support for those small businesses and commercial businesses on the CDBG corridors as well, to see how we can make sure that that they can, you know, can help keep their doors open and take one barrier away as they get to their recovery. Those are my thoughts and considerations, but this item has my support. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce. Thank you. Agree. I think this item is in alignment with the work that the council's taken on in the last several weeks. I did have I guess I want a few things. I want to take a moment to share our story. I talked to a small business owner today that owns three different small businesses in the city of Long Beach and as a renter at his home. And he shared how fascinating it is for him with the way that his landlords have been. The one landlord called them and said, you know what, for the month of April, you don't have to pay rent. We'll talk about what happens in May. The next landlord said, We're going to reduce your rent to 10% and then we will add on to your lease three more months and you can pay the full amount of rent for those three months. And then another landlord called and said, We we need to make sure you're paying your for your full rent because she had many other tenants that weren't paying rent. So I think it's really interesting to be able to look at the different situations that tenants and landlords have. And I agree with Councilmember Richardson's comments that really looking at the means and making sure that we're being thoughtful about maybe it's a percentage of gap for those tenants. And I think the same thing goes for landlords. We know that there are some landlords that have many properties and some that only have a few and trying to be get as much information from the county on how these funds are going to be distributed. If there is a conversation about paying it straight to the landlord instead of the tenant. I think that that also changes the conversation about the need of that landlord. You know, if they've got, you know, how many tenants do they have that are unable to pay? And so I would ask for a staff to look at that as part of the conversation. My one other comment is about the funding sources. I'd like to know how much of the funding sources are federal dollars. We know that our undocumented communities, which the City Council has taken a stand for many times, cannot accept dollars from the federal level. So making sure that we really have a full understanding of all of the funding sources. And then my last question is the county also put in 12 months the payback list, which makes it a lot easier for tenants. And so I guess my question for staff is if this council wanted to extend it from six months to 12 months, is that something that could be done on an item like this tonight, or is that something that we would need to bring back to council? This is Charlie Parker. Can't remember. That item would be, if I understand your question correctly, an amendment to the eviction moratorium. And that would have to be brought back at a separate time. It could not be done this year. Okay. But that is including it would be helpful for us to make sure that there's a report. Thank you for that, Charlie. But whenever we're looking at these funds and helping people pay back their rent, that we do understand that at the county level that they are giving people 12 months to pay back. So what that timeline looks like and an understanding that. So those are my comments. I support this item. Thank you for bringing it forward. Super or not. Not there were supernova. Am I looking at an old one or is this. That was my original comment, I think. Okay. Okay. Thank you. That concludes public comment. I was going to do a roll call vote on the motion in the second. District one. I. District two. I. District three. I. District for. All right. District five. I. District six. All right. District seven. I District eight. Hi. District nine. All right. Motion carries. Thank you. I have two items left, but we'll.