Reso 2009-130 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Priority # 6. Maintain and expand activities designed to prevent those currently housed from becoming homeless. Activities: • Rental Assistance Program Through ECHO's Rental Assistance Program funded through the City's General Fund, seven (7) families were given rental assistance (such as payments for delinquent rent or security deposits) to prevent homelessness. ECHO achieved l 00% of goal. ECHO prevented 5 households from being evicted, assisted 2 households to get into housing, and provided information and support counseling for eighty-five (85) program applicants. • Tenant/Landlord Counseling Using CDBG funds, the City contracted with ECHO Housing for landlord/tenant counseling services to help maintain people in housing. Information and referral services were provided to 687 landlords and tenants from 312 households. In FY 2008-09, ECHO handled ninety-two (92) cases related to eviction and succeeded in preventing four (4) households from being evicted. Staff also assisted with one (1) retaliation case, fifty-nine (59) landlord/tenant inquiries related to repairs, thirty-three (33) cases regarding security deposits, twelve (12) instances involving rent increases, and eleven (l l) occurrences of unlawful entry by a landlord. There were also 128 miscellaneous inquiries (e.g., noise, neighbor disputes, parking, etc.). ECHO staff, furthermore, assisted eight (8) households with conciliation/mediation services, and four (4) of these cases were resolved. Lastly, staff referred sixty (60) households, or one hundredtwenty-nine (129) persons, to small claims court and forty-seven (47) households, or one hundred (100) persons, to other appropriate agencies. To educate tenants and landlords about their rights and responsibilities, ECHO distributed a total of 1,636 educational materials, provided four (4) public service announcements, made two (2) appearance on a local television or radio stations, and held four (4) trainings for property ownerslmanagers. ECHO met or exceeded all of its goals by large percentages. • Housing Rehabilitation Program Under the City's Housing Rehabilitation Program, very low- and low-income homeowners, particularly seniors, have their homes improved and remained housed. The following grants are available to these residents: Minor Home Repair, Mobile Home Repair, Accessibility, Exterior Clean-Up, Exterior Paint, and Seismic Strengthening. Of the twenty-nine (29) grants awarded, nineteen (19), or 65%, were provided to seniors. This program also offers low interest loans for major housing rehabilitation. Of the eleven (11) home rehabilitation loans approved, nine (9), or 81%, were provided to seniors. • Davis Street Family Resource Center Using Redevelopment Housing Set-Aside Funds, the City contracted with DSFRC for special housing services referring clients to rental opportunities in the City, including existing City below-market rate (BMR) units. These services aim to prevent those currently housed from becoming homeless. DSFRC staff: • Distributed sixty-two (62) information packets, which contain names and contact information for affordable housing units and local housing authorities and informational Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report FY 2008-2009 City of San Leandro Page 9