Ensuring Opportunity stated the following summary:

“On February 2nd, Contra Costa Board of Supervisors extended to June 30th, 2021 (from Jan. 31st) their moratorium on “No Fault” Evictions and Rent Increases.  

Moratorium on Rent Increases & late fees 

• Residential units (Applies to properties exempt from AB 1482):
• Rent increases cannot exceed 10%. A maximum of 2 rent increases, the total of which are within the 10% cap, are allowed over a 12-month period.
• If a unit is vacant, the landlord can increase the rent beyond the 10% cap (which may create a problematic incentive to evict)
• Commercial properties: Through March 31, 2021, a landlord may not charge or collect a late fee for unpaid rent due from a commercial real property tenant who demonstrated loss of income or out-of pocket medical expenses as required under this ordinance.

Moratorium on Evictions 

• Contra Costa residents can’t be evicted: 
• For having “unauthorized tenants” dwelling in property if they are immediate family members of tenant 
• For lack of payment of rent (ifproper documentation is submitted per SB 91)
• For a “no fault” reason 

Evictions are still allowed in Contra Costa County:

• Public health hazard: The termination is necessary to protect the landlord’s health or safety or any other tenant’s health or safety.

• Owner move-in: The termination is necessary where the owner or a member of the landlord’s immediate family intends to occupy the residential real property.

Removing rental property from market: The termination is to remove the residential real property from the rental market, but only when authorized by Government Code section 7060 et seq”

West County Meal Pick Up Location Map: Click here to view the closest meal pick up location in West County for you. At school locations, children must be present for the meal pickups. Pick-up times vary. To determine the pickup time, click on an icon on the map.  

East County Food for Children: Boxes of FREE healthy food every month for children ages 4-6 years old. Bring a picture ID and proof of address (PG&E bill, for example), as well as proof of the child’s birthday.

• Brentwood Community UMC, 218 Pine St, Brentwood, Monday & Wednesday, 9:00am-12:00pm

West County Meal Pick Up Location Map Click here to view the closest meal pick up location in West County for you.

Community Produce Program: Low income families can get 15-20 pounds of FREE fresh produce twice a month. Please bring two bags with handles. Click here to select a city and choose a location.

East County Food Assistance Program: FREE groceries once a month for low-income individuals and families. Bring a picture ID and proof of address (PG&E bill, for example), if you have it.

• Brentwood Community UMC, 218 Pine St, Brentwood

Monday & Wednesday, 9:00am-12:00pm

East County Senior Food Program: FREE groceries twice a month to low-income individuals aged 55 or older. Only one senior per household can receive food. Bring a picture ID and proof of address (PG&E bill, for example).

• St. Anthony’s Church, 971 O’Hara Ave, Oakley, 2nd & 4th Thursday, 9:30-10:30am
• Brentwood Senior Center, 193 Griffith Ln, Brentwood, 2nd & 4th Thursday, 10:00-11:00am
• Oakley Senior Center, 215 Second St, Oakley, Fridays 9am-11am. Bring your own bag.

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region:

Delivers meals to seniors (60 years or older) who are unable to buy or prepare meals through other means. Home delivered meals are continuing uninterrupted. MOW Café’s are transferring to a weekly frozen delivery of 7 meals every Tuesday. They have to sign up by the Monday afternoon before to receive meals.  Call 925.937.8311 for intake.

Great Plates Program:

Call 211 to sign-up, and ask for the “great plates program”. This program is for seniors , regardless of immigration status to receive 3 prepared meals per day, delivered to their house by a local restaurant, at no cost. 

Healthcare workers, employees and residents of long-term care facilities, and essential workers will get the COVID vaccine in the winter (December, January and February)

Adults 75+ are given priority for the COVID vaccine and can get vaccinated now. To schedule an appointment with the county, click here.

To view all COVID vaccine providers, click here. 

For more  information go to: https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/vaccine 

Free COVID-19 Testing by Appointment – Contra Costa Health Services: Anyone living in Contra Costa can get tested, even those without symptoms.

Richmond & San Pablo: LifeLong Medical Care (510)981-4100, does not charge for COVID testing.To view all of LifeLong’s available services, click here. 

Concord (Central/East County) : La Clinica de La Raza (925)363-2000, does not charge for COVID testing

Contra Costa Health Services: 1-877-661-6230, COVID testing is free for CCHP members or those with Medi-Cal, including emergency Medi-Cal.

Covered CA’s Open Enrollment Remains Open Through May 15,  you can apply now for coverage if you are uninsured and eligible.  You can sign up for Medi-Cal, anytime. For more information, click here.

Get free help enrolling in a health insurance plan. Community Health Centers have certified enrollment counselors- ready to help you enroll, for free. Give them a call today.

LifeLong: (510)215-9092

La Clinica: (855)494-4658

Center for Human Development Promotoras Program helps residents enroll in Medi-Cal, free. For general information, call 877-905-4545

Contra Costa CARES program: The CARES program provides free primary care coverage to adults living in Contra Costa County that do not qualify for other health insurance. The program assigns members to a primary care home. For more information go to: https://clinicconsortium.org/contra-costa-cares/

Do you have an illnesses or injury that requires immediate medical attention (usually within 24 hours), but is not life-threatening or serious enough to require emergency room care or even hospitalization? Go to LifeLong’s urgent care. It is OPEN during the pandemic. To view all of LifeLong’s available services, click here. 

San Pablo | 2023 Vale Road | (510)231-9800 | Open 7 days a week

Richmond | 150 Harbour Way | (510)877-3365 | Open 5 days a week

https://www.lifelongmedical.org/services/immediate-urgent-care-centers.html

How to Manage the Winter Blues This Year Among COVID

Black Health & Wellness Resource List- Richmond Promise

Richmond Promise created a Black Health & Wellness Resource list.  To view, click here.

Friendship Line – California

“Friendship Line California” is here to help our older community members that may be feeling isolated during the shelter-at-home. Call toll-free 1(888)670-1360

Contra Costa County 24 Hour Access Line

The 24-hour Behavioral Health Access Line is an easy-to-use resource for mental health, grief counseling, and substance use services. Call toll-free: 1-888-678-7277 Visit:https://cchealth.org/mentalhealth/ 

Crisis and Suicide Hotline: 24 Hours Hotline: 1-800-833-2900

Casa de Luz, Oakley Behavioral Health | La Clinica de La Raza

 If you are feeling anxious or not your normal self and need additional support, please call 925-776-8223. 

 https://laclinica.org/location/casa-de-luz/

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Resource and Information Guide

Do you have questions about how to manage your stress/anxiety during the COVID pandemic? NAMI created a resource guide that can help answer some commonly asked questions about what to do to preserve your mental health during this difficult time. This wonderful guide also contains information about financial assistance, obtaining prescription meds and much more. 

https://www.nami.org/covid-19-guide 

NAMI Contra Costa County Warmline

It’s not a hotline, it’s a ‘Warmline’: It gives mental health help BEFORE a crisis heats up. Unlike a hotline for those in immediate crisis, warmlines provide early intervention with emotional support that can prevent a crisis. The lines are free, confidential peer-support services staffed by volunteers or paid employees who have experienced mental health conditions themselves. 

 Social Work License Map

Digital resources for mental health

Richmond Rapid Response Fund

The fund will support the community in three phases:

1) direct financial disbursement to residents 

2) expand financial assistance and support for business and community-based organizations

3) facilitate a community needs assessment and ongoing infrastructure support

The 3RF accepts referrals from community partners who have direct knowledge of people in their communities who are experiencing financial hardship due to the impact of COVID-19. The 3RF will connect families and individuals with direct cash assistance and resources through local community partners.

Each household will receive a one-time payment of $500.

Undocumented people may also receive funds. 

Learn more FAQs Press Release

COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund– Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation

Provides emergency assistance with food, housing, healthcare, workforce support and other pressing needs related to the virus. The fund was launched by the Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation. To Apply or Donate, click here.

Employment Development Department

Unemployment Benefits

If your hours have been reduced or you have lost your job as a result of COVID – 19 and no fault of your own,  you may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Those expected to resume their jobs within a few weeks do not have to actively look for another job, but must be available to work if they are called back to work early. 

Disability Insurance

If you are sick as a result of COVID-19 you may be able to apply for disability insurance which provides short term benefit payments. Benefits vary depending on income, and are between 60%-70% of wages. 

Paid Family Leave Claim

Provides up to 6 weeks of approximately 60%-70% of wages lost as a result of caring for a family member that is ill with COVID- 19 and you have lost or reduced wages while caring for them.  

For more information on any of the programs by EDD, click here.  

Shelter Inc Rental Assistance Program:

The new COVID program serves community members in Contra Costa and Solano counties, affected by the COVID-19 virus. Assistance is available for: payment of past due rent; payment of current month’s rent; payment of future month’s rent; payment of utilities (gas, water, garbage). A Shelter Inc. case manager will analyze applicant’s needs. Funding decisions are based on individual’s needs and funds availability. https://shelterinc.org/renthelp/renthelp.html 

Mortgage Help: 90-Day Grace Period for Mortgage Payments

Financial institutions will offer mortgage payment forbearances of up to 90 days to borrowers economically impacted by COVID-19. Mortgage forbearance is an agreement for temporarily reduced or paused payments on the loan, for a specified amount of time. This can help you avoid going into foreclosure or ruining your credit during a financial hardship. As part of the agreement, after the forbearance, you’re responsible for paying the amount that was reduced or suspended, in addition to resuming your regular payments. Click here for more information.

Season of Sharing (SOS) Program by EHSD

SOS program provides emergency relief for families and individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments will cover applicants who face a sudden crisis or shortfall due to job or wage loss resulting from COVID-19. Funds are available on a first-come, first served basis. For more information call the SOS Hotline: (925)521-5065

 Eligibility- Must:

•     Have children under 18 years old or
•     Permanent or temporarily disabled or
•     Adult over 55 years old or 
•     Veteran or
•     Foster youth between 19-24 years old or
•     Victims of domestic violence 

 Types of assistance

•     Rental or Mortgage payment
•     Deposits and other housing expenses (water or garbage)
•     Furniture
•     Transportation (e.g. emergency care repair)
•     Medical equipment (not covered by medical insurance)

Catholic Charities of the East Bay Housing Assistance Program

If you are at-risk of losing your current housing or need help to move to more stable housing, then Catholic Charities might be able to help you. For more information visit the link below.

•      https://www.cceb.org/housing-services-in-the-county-of-contra-costa/

Small Business Call Center – Contra Costa County

NOTE: This is a multilingual line. A new call center is now available in Contra Costa County to connect businesses and workers with helpful federal, state and local programs. This includes providing resources and referrals on loans and grants, unemployment insurance, payroll subsidies, and other critical concerns. The trained team who answer calls can also assist with tapping into programs to reduce utility costs, access online career training, and other business services. The line opens April 23, 2020. 

(833)320-1919 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday 

Source: BOS Gioia’s Newsletter 

Press Release

Small business help: 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest, long-term federal disaster loans to California small businesses, rental property owners, and private nonprofit organizations with no payments required for the first 12 months. Applicants may apply online.

https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela

If you, or a loved one, is experiencing violence at home from an intimate partner (such as a spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend) please contact STAND! For Families Free of Violence 24-hour crisis line at 1-888-215-5555 or email crisisline@standffov.org

Sexual Assault & Human Trafficking

If you, or a loved one, is experiencing (or has recently experienced) sexual assault or been forced or tricked into performing a sex act, please contact the Community Violence Solutions 24 hour crisis line at 1-800-670-7273

Family Violence, Child Abuse & Elder Abuse

Family Justice Centers is staffed with multilingual navigators that speak English, Spanish, Lao, Thai, Cantonese and Korean

Richmond: (510)974-7200 Concord: (925)521-6366 Antioch: (925)281-0970

Housing and Employment: Legal Rights of Survivors of Domestic Violence Webinar

What: Taylor Campion and Carolyn Walker, Family Violence Appellate Project attorneys, will help advocates, providers and attorneys understand domestic violence survivors’ legal rights in housing and employment.

Who: This training is good for: domestic violence advocates, victim advocates, case managers, crisis intervention specialists, legal aid advocates, attorneys, health care professionals, mental health professionals, public benefits specialists

When: May 15, 2020 | 9:00 – 12:00 PM

Click here to RSVP 

Questions? Call Marta (925)521-6366 or email marta@cocofamilyjustice.org