Housing Resources & Renter/Homeowner Information

Morgan Hill Moratorium on Residential Rent Increases

On April 8, 2020, the City of Morgan Hill enacted a moratorium on residential rent increases that prohibits landlords from increasing rents from the rates in place on March 1, 2020. This will be effective until 60 days following the revocation of the shelter in place orders.

Santa Clara County Eviction Moratorium

On March 24, 2020, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors enacted a moratorium on “no-fault” evictions and evictions for non-payment of rent for tenants who have incurred substantial income loss and/or substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This moratorium expired on August 31, 2020, and has been replaced by the state law protections. More information about how the state law protects residential tenants suffering from economic hardship due to COVID-19 and how residential tenants can receive the protections of the state law can be found here: https://landlordtenant.dre.ca.gov/faqs.html. 

California Eviction Moratorium

On March 27, 2020, Governor Newsom issued an executive order, temporarily suspending residential evictions throughout the State of California. For more information regarding this moratorium go to: https://landlordtenant.dre.ca.gov/faqs.html

Center for Disease Control 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also issued an agency order temporarily halting residential evictions through December 31, 2020. More information on the federal protections for residential tenants can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-eviction-declaration.html.

Tenant and Landlord Resources

CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program

The State of California launched its statewide CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program and began to accept applications. We are encouraging eligible landlords and tenants to apply to the State program. 

Here are some details on the State program:

• The program provides assistance to help low-income tenants pay rent and utilities.
  
• The program is available to low-income tenants (< 80% AMI) who have been financially impacted due to the pandemic. 
• Priority will be given to tenants who make less than 50% of the area’s median income.
• Applications can be submitted by both tenants and landlords. 
• Details and the application link will be available at: Housingiskey.com or via a toll-free phone number 833-430-2112.

Project Sentinel & Law Foundation of Silicon Valley

Both Project Sentinel and the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley have informational sites up that provide an FAQ/summary of the details of the County’s ordinance and provide links to forms in multiple languages that tenants and landlords can use to manage their interactions.

As a reminder, the following are also local and state resources for residential tenants: 

1. United Way has a “Text RentSOS to 211-211” campaign to help renters/tenants understand their rights under the new law and access resources to ensure they can stay housed. Click here for more information.
2. Sacred Heart Community Service has created a chatbot that can walk tenants through their rights, responsibilities, and options: Sacred Heart Chatbot.
3. The State of California has a landlord/tenant “Housing is Key” website that provides resource information and FAQs

Office of Cultural Competency - Universal Access Pilot

The Office of Cultural Competency Universal Access Program (UAP) is a collaborative model with FIRST 5, County of Santa Clara agencies, Santa Clara County Office of Education, Alum Rock Unified School District, Franklin McKinley School District, and other nonprofit partners. Universal Access partners are committed to cross-system coordination and integration in service to family navigation that is culturally-responsive and applies a whole child, whole family approach where all doors lead to support.

To respond to the needs of the community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAP team pulled together a set of resources to help navigate families, particularly COVID19-related resources.  This information is fluid and it is updated regularly.

You can access the most current resource information via this portal.

Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together is committed to helping  the community shelter in place and doing what they can to assist in the community:

• We do continue to provide emergency repairs, specifically for those impacted by the coronavirus who have no hot water or heat, and are making those repairs through our vetted contractors.
• We are organizing an effort to call clients to perform wellness checks to ensure that they are safe at home, having compiled a list of relevant, timely resources that we can pass on when needed.
• We are distributing a list of volunteer opportunities and portals that each of the cities we serve is promoting so that our volunteers have vetted and reliable ways to offer assistance should they choose.
• And just yesterday, we inventoried our warehouse supplies and donated materials such as N95 masks, gloves, and goggles to a clearinghouse organized by Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits to distribute appropriately.

Visit Rebuilding Together’s web page for more information. 

In Need of Shelter

Santa Clara County has assigned a Multi-Departmental Joint Operations team to manage all shelter and temporary housing resources during the Shelter-In-Place Order due to the COVID19 Crisis. There is also now a Homeless Hotline: 408-278-6420.

Additional Housing Resources