- Jaspreet Johl
- (916) 335-8871
- Jaspreet.Johl@asm.ca.gov
(Sacramento, CA) – As California is poised to receive billions in federal aid, Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) calls for more state rental and utility assistance for millions of Californians facing unemployment and mounting renter debt.
“Although there is hope on the horizon, millions of Californians are still battling the storm as they struggle with unemployment and piling up rent bills,” said Assembly Member Santiago. “Communities across California, especially low-income communities, are struggling to feed their kids, let alone pay their rent and utilities. We must increase our investments for rental and utility assistance to avoid evictions and prevent a massive increase in unhoused Californians.”
Recently, several legislators pushed for a $5 billion funding investment for rental assistance to prevent evictions. This budget request was led by Assembly Members Miguel Santiago, Tasha Boerner Horvath, Wendy Carrillo, Sabrina Cervantes, Sydney Kamlager, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Cristina Garcia, Mike Gipson, Lorena Gonzalez, Ash Kalra, Evan Low, Freddie Rodriguez, Mark Stone, Buffy Wicks, and Senators Ben Allen, Monique Limon, Henry Stern, and Scott Wiener.
Shortly after, the state invested $2.6 billion for a new rental assistance program set to open for applications this month. Although this was a great first step, more assistance is needed to help more Californians weather the pandemic. With the recent promised investment of the American Rescue Plan, the state is well positioned to lead by example and provide increased rental and utility assistance to Californians struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Assembly Member Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Los Angeles County Homelessness. He also sits on the Assembly Committee on Health, Public Safety, Higher Education and Utilities and Energy. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.