Item 09 - First Amendment to Emergency Rental Assistance Program Spending Plan

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Coronavirus Emergency Rental Relief Fund for Tenants Page | 7 Program Guidelines as of June 1, 2021 Determination and Documentation of Household Income: Definition of Income: With respect to each household applying for assistance, the City uses the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) definition of “annual income” in 24 CFR 5.6091. The City will determine income eligibility based on either (i) the household’s total income for calendar year 2020, or (ii) sufficient confirmation of the household’s monthly income at the time of application. If the City uses a household’s monthly income to determine eligibility, the City will review the monthly income information provided at the time of application and extrapolate over a 12-month period to determine whether household income exceeds 80 percent of area median income. For example, if the applicant provides income information for two months, the City will multiply it by six to determine the annual amount. Documentation of Income Determination: The City will have a reasonable basis under the circumstances for determining income. The City will generally require a written attestation from the applicant as to household income and also documentation available to the applicant to support the determination of income, such as paystubs, W -2s or other wage statements, tax filings, bank statements demonstrating regular income, or an attestation from an employer. Under limited circumstances, the City may rely on a written attestation from the applicant without further documentation of household income as described below. Categorical Eligibility: If an applicant’s household income has been verified to be at or below 80 percent of the area median income in connection with another local, state, or federal government assistance program, the City will rely on a determination letter from the government agency that verified the applicant’s household income, provided that the determination for such program was made on or after January 1, 2020. Written Attestation Without Further Documentation: To the extent that a household’s income, or a portion thereof, is not verifiable due to the impact of COVID -19 (for example, because a place of employment has closed) or has been received in cash, or if the household has no qualifying income, the City may accept a written attestation from the applicant regarding household income. In appropriate cases, the City may rely on an attestation from a caseworker with knowledge of a household’s circumstances from Catholic Charities of Orange County, The Salvation Army, Latino Health Access or Families Forward to certify that an applicant’s household income qualifies for assistance. EXHIBIT 3