Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — The Latest on Vaccines and Rental Assistance

Santa Barbara County is expected to receive 6,580 vaccine doses today. On average, we have been allocated 6,000 vaccine doses each week from the state. 6,000 doses is only enough to vaccinate 1.3% of our population, which we have found to be a similar percentage as other counties, but we have a far larger percentage of our population that is 75 and above.

Until allocations are increased due to increased vaccine dose availability, appointments remain limited. While there are a reported 11,000 people on the wait list at Cottage and 8,000 at Sansum, the following pharmacies are offering COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments for community members 75+ years of age:

Sav-On Pharmacy at 2320 South Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93455

Schedule Link: https://kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/1609884413461

Sav-On Pharmacy at 1120 East Clark Avenue, Orcutt, CA 93455

Schedule Link: https://kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/1609885376384

Vons Pharmacy at 729 North H Street, Lompoc, CA 93436

Schedule Link: https://kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/1610479431744

Sav-On Pharmacy at 1500 North H Street, Lompoc, CA 93436

Schedule Link: https://kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/1609886485581

Additionally, you may be able to make an appointment through the following methods:

1. Pacific Diagnostic Labs in Goleta Valley

2. Albertson’s at Casitas Pass: (805) 684-8367

3. Marian Medical Center. Call (805) 739-3815 or visit: https://sugeni.us/Wg5A.

4. Vons Pharmacy on Coast Village: (805) 969-4728

5. If you need assistance in scheduling appointments, you can call 2-1-1 and press option “4.”

You can also see in the chart below that was presented at our meeting today that overall, cases are continuing to go down over the last week, with the largest number of cases continuing to be in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc.

The application period will close on Monday, February 8 at 6:00PM. Selection notifications will be sent out from February 11- February 18.

For more information to share with interested applicants, please visit: careliefgrant.com

The State approved SB 91: The COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act, which extends the current statewide eviction protections through June 30, 2021, requiring residents to pay 25% of their total rent due between September 2020 and June 2021 to be protected from eviction for not paying their full rent during this period (however tenants would still owe their landlord any unpaid rent which will be converted to consumer debt). It is important to note that other just cause evictions can take place that are not related to the tenant’s failure to pay rent.

SB 91 also created a State rent relief program that allocates $1.5 billion in federal 2021 Stimulus Act rental relief dollars. The State’s program would directly pay landlords 80% of the total amount of rent due between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 in exchange for forgiving the remaining 20% of unpaid rent for that covered period. Where landlords refuse to participate, tenants may receive a direct allocation limited to 25% of past rent due.

Our County also extended our own eviction moratorium for commercial properties that have been affected financially by COVID-19 as long as the tenant has paid 25% of rental payments due for that time period consistent with existing lease obligations; for example: 25% of each month’s rent in an underlying lease that requires payment each month.

Our County additionally received a direct allocation of $13,275,190 of federal 2021 Stimulus Act funds to provide emergency rent and utility payment assistance. It is anticipated that this program will provide a three (3) month rent subsidy, up to $6,000, for qualifying households currently living in rental units who cannot pay rent because of a loss or reduction of income due to COVID-19. Qualifying households are eligible to thereafter re-apply for an additional 3-months of rent assistance, up to a total of 15-months. Payments will be made directly to the owners or managers of the rental units on behalf of the tenants. Rental payments may be applied to current or future rent due at the discretion of the landlord; however, past due rent that is owed must be paid before any current or future rent. Qualifying households are also eligible to apply for 3-months of utility payment assistance, up to a total of 15-months. The emergency rental assistance program is intended to prevent homelessness by providing rent assistance to residents who experienced a loss of income due to coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.  Households must be at 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) to qualify, and households at 50% AMI and below will be prioritized. See the below chart for 2020 Income Limits.

Our Board is set to get more information on what the administration of this program will look like next week. I will, of course, report back with more info on how folks can apply for the funding as soon as that becomes available but help is on the way!