What is it?

Through the new Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), over $100 million in federal funds have been designated for rent and utility assistance to keep Contra Costa County residents stably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are targeted to households with incomes below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) that have experienced a loss in income related to COVID-19 and are at risk of homelessness or housing instability.

The special opportunity for community-based organizations to support ERAP through funding from the County is still open!  We are evaluating applications on a rolling basis as we receive them. Our goal with this funding is to engage trusted organizations with deep ties in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities, providing funding to support your outreach to Contra Costa residents who can most benefit from ERAP rental assistance funds.  We want to make sure that the benefits of ERAP reach the most marginalized communities through targeted and multi-lingual outreach, application assistance, and housing stability services. 

Grants are available for the following:

- Outreach: Up to $5,000 to market ERAP to tenants in marginalized communities.

- Application Assistance: Up to $30,000 to help tenants complete and submit ERAP applications.

[CLOSEED] - Housing Stability Services: $75,000 to help tenants with non-participating landlords understand their rights and access additional resources, including free legal aid. [CLOSED - NO MORE APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED]

HOW TO APPLY

We encourage all interested organizations to apply! Please feel free to forward this message to other partners that might not know about the opportunity; we especially hope to hear from organizations that have a deep connection and trusted relationship with those experiencing the greatest challenges and barriers who could most benefit from the ERAP funding.

The Request For Proposals (RFP), which is relatively short, can be completed online in either English or Spanish. Just click the appropriate box below to access the appropriate online application. RCF Connects will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis. We hope to hear from you soon!

RCF Connects aims to make this opportunity as accessible as possible to the people who work directly with impacted communities. If you have questions or concerns -- including any barriers that you may face regarding eligibility, services, or the application process -- please contact Mariana Moore (mmoore@richmondcf.org) or Stacey Street (sstreet@richmondcf.org) for support and assistance.