Covid-19: Resources for Navigating the Outbreak
COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program Now Open for Applications!
San Francisco's local Rental Assistance Program has begun accepting applications. San Francisco’s local program can provide up to six months total of rental assistance, including three months of future rent.
The local program will prioritize the most vulnerable tenants using an evidence-based screening tool that considers a range of factors, such as extremely low household income. San Francisco’s program is in addition to the State’s rental assistance program, which will provide rental assistance for unpaid rents for the period of April 2020 to March 2021.
Please email renthelp@sfaa.org or call (415) 255-2288 ext. 114 for help or questions about the Rental Assistance Program. SFAA will announce drop-in Office Hours at their location at 265 Ivy Street shortly.
San Francisco's local Rental Assistance Program is tenant-initiated. In order for a tenant to be eligible to apply, they must have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once your tenant has completed their application, you will be notified. It is expected to take 2-3 weeks to hear if the tenants' application will be approved. It will take another 2-6 weeks to receive rent payments for approved applications.
All applications for both the local and the state program will only be accepted online. SFAA is available to help under-resourced tenants and housing providers navigate the application process, and SFAA can provide counseling, translation services, and assist with completing and submitting the application.
If you or a colleague needs help with any part of the application process, you can refer them to SFAA for assistance at no charge.
The San Francisco Rental Assistance Program homepage is sf.gov/renthelp
You can read an FAQ on the local Rental Assistance Program here.
Rental Assistance Fact Sheet
Both of these documents are also available in Chinese, Spanish, and Tagalog here.
Press Release: Rental Assistance Program
