A recent report detailing the dismal housing conditions faced by 150,000 residents in unincorporated Alameda County estimates that up to one-third of renters could be living in buildings that should legally be deemed uninhabitable.
Rodents, sewage problems and electrical hazards are among the daunting problems detailed in the report “In the Shadows of Eden,” which was produced by local tenants’ rights advocates. But according to Alameda County’s Healthy Homes Department, the county has millions of dollars from the federal government to address such issues–funds that are so far unused, and might soon expire.
The $2.5 million fund, provided by the American Rescue Plan during the pandemic, amounts to essentially free cash for landlords who want to improve their rental units, many of which are badly in need of repair. All they have to do is apply.
The problem? No one is.
“They’re not buying what we’re selling, even though what we’re selling is free,” said Larry Brooks, director of Alameda County’s Healthy Homes Department.
Brooks, who has heard landlords say that the county’s eviction moratorium put them in a precarious position financially, finds it hard to understand why they wouldn’t want to access free support.
The program offers thousands of dollars for repairs with few strings attached. Only landlords who are renting to low-income tenants can access the money, but they are not required to commit to doing so for any period of time, as is required by other similar maintenance grants.
The Healthy Homes Department has spent the last few months working to raise awareness about the funding, presenting at meetings and webinars attended by representatives of rental housing associations. They’ve also put on community outreach events for tenants and spread the word on social media.
But those efforts, at least so far, haven’t borne fruit. According to Brooks, only a “handful” of landlords have taken advantage of the program.
“Landlords who do rent to low income tenants don’t seem to be interested,” Brooks said.
Paul Taylor, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Southern Alameda County, which represents landlords providing over 39,000 rental homes, said the lack of interest is primarily a function of education and trust. Taylor’s group recently partnered with the Healthy Homes Department to help spread the word about these resources and others.
“Sometimes all of these housing providers don’t really trust the government,” Taylor said. “But if we’re promoting it, they think there’s something to this.”
The county’s long eviction moratorium left many landlords feeling left out to dry. The California Apartment Association lawsuit against Alameda County’s eviction moratorium could also have had a chilling effect, Brooks said.
While the money burns a hole in the county’s pocket, tenants living in these homes are facing a myriad of health concerns ranging from asthma to exposure to lead paint. Tenants have told the County Healthy Homes department that they’re afraid their landlords will retaliate with evictions or rent increases if they complain about conditions or ask their landlords to apply for the county program.
Claudia Canchola, who lives in unincorporated Cherryland and has dealt with maintenance issues like a malfunctioning sink and stove burner, said landlord retaliation is a common concern, even over minor maintenance requests.
“The landlord never misses a chance to raise the rent ever year, but when it comes to fixing things or making minor repairs, it takes him a while to send someone,” Canchola said.
Because Alameda County lacks a rental registry or proactive rental inspection program, the channels through which to contact landlords are not always obvious. In the coming months, Brooks said the county will be doing a massive mail campaign in multiple languages, using algorithms to identify areas where landlords might own properties.
Looming over all these efforts is an awareness that the money will not last forever. Federal funds that remain unused could expire as soon as 2024, so there is an increased urgency to get this money out into the community. The question is if it will happen quickly enough.
“If there’s money available, we want a part of it,” Taylor said.