Santa Barbara County Supervisors Approve $2.2 Million in Rental and Disaster Assistance

Two new programs to help people pay their rent and survive a COVID quarantine period got a $2.2 million shot in the arm from the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, August 18. The rental-assistance program will give as many as 600 households earning 80 percent of the county’s median income — or up to $95,300 for a family of four — $1,000 for up to three months. The disaster-assistance program offers a one-time grant of $1,250 to people who must stop working due to COVID infection or positive diagnosis; about 200 such grants are expected to be funded. The programs will be run through the United Way and are set to open in the next two weeks.