Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Claremont extends temporary rental assistance through Dec. 31 using successor housing funds
Summary
The City Council approved continuing the temporary housing-stabilization subsidy program through Dec. 31, 2026, directing staff to use current eligibility rules, accept no new participants and appropriate up to $360,000 from the successor housing fund to cover the extension.
The Claremont City Council voted unanimously to extend the city's temporary housing stabilization and relocation program through Dec. 31, 2026, directing staff to use the program's current eligibility rules, not accept new participants, and appropriate up to $360,000 from the successor housing fund to sustain payments.
Deputy City Manager Katie Wand told the council that about 202 households currently receive monthly subsidies from the city program; roughly 130 of those households are fixed-income seniors. Wand said the city currently spends about $55,000 to $60,000 per month on the program and noted that the regional RPHP (renter protection and homelessness prevention) programs administered through La Casa and the San Gabriel Valley COG will operate differently, offering shorter-term emergency assistance, mandatory case management and legal services.
Wand explained the city applied for county RPHP funding but was not recommended because the COG prioritized countywide or regionally targeted providers; the COG's implementation plan (SGB Home) anticipates limited slots for Claremont residents (an estimated 13 annual slots) and a focus on short-term stabilization rather than ongoing monthly subsidies.
Public commenters described the local subsidy as a lifeline. "The renter assistance provided by the city of Claremont has been a godsend to us," one recipient told the council, urging that the program be continued so seniors and working families can remain housed.
Council discussion focused on short-term needs and long-term funding sustainability. Members noted the successor housing fund has a balance staff estimated at approximately $2.3 million (after prior allocations) and that the requested $360,000 appropriation would extend the program through December but would not be a permanent funding source.
The motion to extend the program and appropriate up to $360,000 from the successor housing fund passed by unanimous roll call vote. Council directed staff to work with regional partners (La Casa and the COG) to connect program participants to RPHP resources as available and to return with proposals for longer-term solutions, including consideration of inclusionary housing revenues and a separate review of rent-stabilization options.
The extension covers the current participants only; staff will continue annual recertification processes for enrolled households and coordinate referrals to the regional portal and implementation partners for clients who may qualify for SGB Home assistance.
