Smart Saver Tip of the Month by Livable

Smart Saver Tip of the Month by Livable

Make small changes each month that will add up over the course of the year.  Creating a plan will make a huge difference in making it happen! Make sure there’s room for air to circulate in your refrigerator. It’s easy for vents to get blocked, reducing efficiency and wasting power. The opposite is true for the freezer! The fuller it is, the more efficiently it runs because it’s not chilling air space. To find out how Livable can save you money, check out livable.com/AAGLA or call (877) 789-6027.

Tenants Advocates Reach Settlement on Behalf of California Renters

California Department of Housing & Community Development to Give Fair Chance to Pending and Denied Applicants to Receive Emergency Rental Assistance

In a settlement reached in a lawsuit brought by tenants’ rights advocates with the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) will allow applicants for rental assistance a new opportunity to obtain emergency funds. The lawsuit claimed that the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) unconstitutionally operated the state’s “Housing is Key” program leading to qualified applicants missing out on promised assistance. In a press release about the settlement, housing advocates claimed, “more than 100,000 households are still waiting for a decision on their applications—and many of them are being served with eviction notices and being harassed by their landlords for rent they still owe.”

As part of the settlement, HCD has agreed to take steps to improve its process for the remaining ERAP applications, including providing tenants who are going to be denied all or part of the assistance they requested with a detailed explanation of the reason for denial, so they can address issues with the application and have a fair opportunity to appeal; ensuring that tenants subject to “recapture” of rental assistance funds have a fair opportunity to challenge the state’s decision; and providing better access to the appeal process. In addition, tenants who are waiting for a decision on their applications will receive an update in the coming months. Those who receive a denial will have 30 days to file an appeal.

To find out how Livable can save you money, check out livable.com/AAGLA or call (877) 789-6027.