United Way of Santa Barbara County to Distribute $2.6 Million of CARES Act Funding

Source: United Way of Santa Barbara County

In partnership with the County of Santa Barbara, the City of Santa Barbara, and the City of Goleta, United Way of Santa Barbara County is offering rental assistance and other disaster response grants to eligible individuals and families. The funds were through federal grants received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). 

In total, $2.6 million has been awarded to United Way to manage and provide emergency rental assistance grants and other disaster response funding to our county’s most vulnerable individuals and families.  

“The pandemic has highlighted the precarious financial situation and extreme stress many County residents are experiencing,” said Steve Ortiz, President & CEO of United Way. “Every day we hear from local individuals who have lost work and cannot afford rent, food, medicines, or other necessary bills due to the current health crisis. Thanks to our partners, the County of Santa Barbara, the City of Santa Barbara, and the City of Goleta, many of these individuals can now meet these basic needs.” 

Eligible applicants for these grants must meet specific requirements. New funding opportunities include: 

The County of Santa Barbara Rental Assistance 

$2,000,000 will provide rental assistance for income-qualified individuals living in unincorporated parts of Santa Barbara County. To apply, visit: https://www.unitedwaysb.org/rental-assistance 

County of Santa Barbara Disaster Assistance 

$200,000 will provide grants to support the safe isolation of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 The Public Health Department will directly refer individuals who have tested positive to UWSBC. 

City of Santa Barbara Rental Assistance 

$352,965 has been awarded to provide rental assistance for individuals living in City of Santa Barbara. Due to high demand, these funds have been fully allocated; however, City of Santa Barbara residents in need may be eligible for funding through the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort. To apply, visit www.unitedwaysb.org/covid-19-response-grants

City of Goleta Emergency Grants 

$42,676 will provide emergency financial assistance for income-qualified senior citizens living in City of Goleta. To apply, visit: www.unitedwaysb.org/covid-19-response-grants  

Through the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort for Santa Barbara County, United Way, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Hutton Parker Foundation have been partnering since March 2020 to address local community needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Joint Response Effort has already provided COVID-19 related assistance grants totaling more than $4 million to 2,000 individuals and 127 non-profit organizations. 

To learn more about United Way’s COVID-19 response activities, visit: www.unitedwaysb.org/covid19.  

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4 Comments

  1. Recommend this goes for landlord assistance, who had to forgo their projected income, while their tenants were protected from both rental payments and eviction. Time to rebalance this original equation so the landlords now benefit from direct reimbursement, which in turn is an indirect benefit for the tenant. However, always with the caution any time the government puts “free cash” on the table there are any number of ways to scam it. Caveat. And let’s get out of the massive and artificially induced economic dislocation as soon as possible.

  2. Interesting that this aid is available ‘regardless of immigration status.’ And a household of two people with an income up to $76,250 a year is eligible. Family of 4 up to $95,300. Wow! What a deal! This’ll be selling like hotcakes, and over-subscribed in short order. THEN, complaints from those who didn’t get in on the deal before funds were committed. As Yakov Smirnov said ” What a Country!”

  3. Unfair that commercial businesses still have to pay or defer (eventually pay our rent) unfair for tenants and landlords. Bc we as tenants are barred from the premises due to the shut down and unfair that many landlords are not getting paid. At least for your homes you get to live there. Some of us don’t even get to use our commercial spaces yet I still am on the hook for paying now 7 months of rent to a place I cannot use.

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