Placer County has launched Rent Help Placer, an emergency rental assistance program funded by the U.S. Treasury. Rent Help Placer provides financial assistance to eligible low-income renters in Placer County to pay past-due or current rent and utility payments.

Applicants must show a loss in income or other related financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic to qualify. To be eligible for assistance, the household must have an income at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI) and be able to prove one of the following due to COVID-19:

• Have lost income or qualify for unemployment benefits.
• Incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship.
• Are at risk of housing instability or eviction.

Income eligible applicants who have been unemployed for 90 or more days or who are at or below 50% of the Placer County AMI will be given priority. Payments will be made directly to landlords and utility providers. The application period for tenants closes April 30, 2021.

While landlords cannot apply to the program directly on behalf of their tenants, their participation is key to helping engage and facilitate the renter application process. There are numerous resources available to help promote awareness of the program and encourage income-eligible renters experiencing hardship to apply. To download the landlord toolkit, click here.