Housing Division Additional Programs |
The following is a list of the Housing Programs supported by the County. You may
scroll through the programs, or if you are interested in a specific program, just click on the item from the list
below to go directly to it. For information on income eligibility, see the
Housing Income Table. If you feel that you may qualify for one of the programs and are interested in additional
information, please contact the appropriate administering agency for that program.
Community Action Board (CAB) Emergency Housing Assistance Program Families in Transition Program Paloma del Mar Rent Subsidy Program Security Deposit / Last Month's Rent Guarantee Program Community Action Board (CAB) Emergency Housing Assistance Program Community Action Board's (CAB) Emergency Housing Assistance Program provides short term rental assistance in cases where a tenant faces eviction due to lack of rent payment as a result of one-time cash-flow problems. Low income families are vulnerable to eviction when experiencing periodic economic hardships such as a car break down, a reduction in work hours, a short term medical condition, or an illness in the family. CAB provides a household rental assistance for about one and a half months upon proof of a landlord's impending eviction. The CAB program provides tenants comprehensive case management and supportive services. As a condition of rental assistance, a tenant's economic conditions are assessed and evaluated, and tenants are given a prescribed course of action to secure additional financial resources in order to prevent subsequent occurrences. As part of this process, tenants may be referred to other agencies for such items as medical insurance, food assistance, or job referrals. The County, along with other agencies, reimburses CAB for short term rental subsidy payments to unincorporated area tenants facing eviction. For more information contact: Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc Families in Transition Program Families in Transition provides supportive services to families that have become homeless or are on the verge of homelessness. One key aspect of the program is rent subsidy. While enrolled in the program, families are assisted in renting permanent housing from private landlords on the open market, providing each family with a time limited rent subsidy for 6 to 18 months. The subsidy amounts decrease as the family reduces its debt and increases its earning power, until it is discontinued and the family assumes full responsibility for 100% of their rent. The FIT program also provides participants with comprehensive case management and full supportive services in an effort to obtain self sufficiency. This program is run by Families In Transition, Inc., a non-profit public benefit corporation. The Agency reimburses FIT for short term rental subsidy payments to clients residing in the unincorporated portion of Santa Cruz County. For more information contact: Paloma del Mar Rent Subsidy Program The Paloma del Mar apartments is a 130 unit rental complex for seniors located on Pajaro Lane in Freedom. The rent subsidy program is designed to assist senior occupants with their monthly rental payments. Aimed at low and very low income levels, eligible applicants must have income less than 60% of the median. The project is supported by a special one-time revenue source and is administered by the County. Tenant eligibility for the subsidy program is determined by the developer of the complex and is based on income requirements. The maximum number of units to be subsidized is 42, with a per-unit subsidy of $100 per month. This program will end after 15 years, in October of 2012. For more information on this program contact: Paloma del Mar Apartments Security Deposit / Last Month's Rent Guarantee Program This program is designed to assist low-income households in our community who can afford to pay monthly rent but do not have sufficient funds to pay the security deposit and last month's rent typically required by landlords. The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz administers this program for the County. Initially the security deposit is paid to the landlord through a loan to the tenant which is forgiven over the first year at the rate of 1/12 of the total loan amount per month. The County provides a guarantee for the last month's rent, which may be paid to the landlord by the tenant over the first year of occupancy by paying an additional 1/12 of the monthly rent amount per month. Program guidelines include:
Prospective applicants can contact the Housing Authority for further program information and applications at: Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz |
