City of San Mateo
Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program
Adopted July 28, 2025
Updated July 20, 2026
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Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Housing Element.........................................................................................................................2 Metropolitan Transportation Commission – Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Grant.........2 Funding .......................................................................................................................................3 Samaritan House ........................................................................................................................5 Purpose of The Guidelines..........................................................................................................6 Contact Information ...................................................................................................................6 Application .......................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Eligibility .....................................................................................................................................7 Income Guidelines ......................................................................................................................7 Amount and Type of Assistance .................................................................................................8 Duplication of Benefits ...............................................................................................................8 Required Documentation for Tenants........................................................................................8 Application Process ....................................................................................................................9 Language Access Plan .................................................................................................................9 Outreach ..........................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Grant Administration....................................................................................................................11 Reimbursements.......................................................................................................................11 Leveraging Funds ......................................................................................................................11 Performance Progress Reports.................................................................................................11 Recordkeeping..........................................................................................................................11 Additional Program Information ..............................................................................................12 Compliance Monitoring ............................................................................................................12 1 1
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Introduction
On April 21, 2025, City Council directed Housing Staff to develop an emergency rental assistance program to help San Mateo’s low-income residents from being displaced from their homes. Staff presented to City Council the prevalence of displacement within the City of San Mateo, with nonpayment of rent being a key factor. As a proposal to reduce evictions and displacement, an emergency rental assistance program was mentioned. Multiple jurisdictions throughout San Mateo County (South San Francisco, Brisbane, Foster City, Redwood City) currently have emergency rental assistance programs, many of which started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs have been successful in reducing displacement and keeping community members in their homes. Thus, these jurisdictions continued funding these forms of assistance using various funding sources, including Housing Successor funds.
Housing Element
This program supports the Housing Element’s Goal to address the City’s housing needs through protection - Goal H-3: Protection of Current Residents to Prevent Displacement. An issue identified in the Housing Element is the displacement of low-income renters in San Mateo. The increasing rental rates, along with the slow increase in incomes, disproportionally impacts communities who spend more than 30% of their monthly income towards rent. When experiencing eviction or displacement, households often have to leave their community in San Mateo to find more affordable housing.
To protect our existing communities, programs such as an emergency rental assistance program can aid housing insecure households from having to leave the City entirely. With the intervention of a service operator, households can get more housing stability through the introduction of additional resources. Therefore, based on the data that shows nonpayment of rent as being a key driver of displacement, and to support implementation of Policy H 3.1:
Prevent Homelessness, establishing an emergency rental assistance program will be an effective tool to help reduce San Mateo residents from being displaced from their homes and at-risk for homelessness.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission – Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Grant
This program is also in compliance with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy. To meet TOC Policy requirements, jurisdictions need to establish local policies that address minimum residential and commercial office densities for new development; affordable housing production, preservation and protection, and stabilizing businesses to prevent displacement; parking management; and transit station 3 1
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access. By establishing an emergency rental assistance program, the City will meet the TOC’s Affordable Housing Protection Policy #5: Rental Assistance Program. This Protection Policy requires jurisdictions to provide a dedicated funding source and program for rental assistance to low-income households. The proposed rental assistance program meets the requirements for TOC Policy Compliance:
Provide a total allocation of at least $300,000 over a four-year One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) cycle. At the time of publication of this report, the current OBAG cycle is in its third round covering the years of 2023-2026. If funded for four years, this program’s budget will exceed the $300,000 threshold with a total of $672,000. Since we are approaching the end of the third OBAG cycle, this program will continue to comply during the fourth OBAG cycle.
The program will be funded through the Housing Successor Fund, a local funding source that allows homelessness programs such as rental assistance to be funded through. This policy requires the eligibility of applicants to meet the 80 percent of AMI or less threshold, to be considered low-income. This program will be eligible to residents who meet the 60 percent AMI or less threshold.
Outreach for this program will include promotion via the City’s website and other communication channels as a method to make information available to City of San Mateo residents.
Funding
The City will provide up to $220,000 from the Housing Successor Fund, also known as the Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund (LMIHAF), to the emergency rental assistance program to support eligible City of San Mateo residents for FY 2026-27. Funding may be renewed annually upon City Council approval. The program administrator, Samaritan House, will provide assistance of up to $4,000 per household and per fiscal year for rental and utility payments to prevent tenants from being evicted and displaced from San Mateo.
Line Item Amount
Administration $20,000
Rental Assistance $200,000
Total: $220,000
The Housing Successor Fund is a public fund used by California “successor housing agencies” to manage and utilize revenues left over from dissolved redevelopment agencies. The City of San Mateo receives revenues to this fund from loan repayments, lease payments, and sales of property previously acquired with LMIHAF funds. These funds are regulated to be used in the future for housing assistance to households whose income does not exceed 80% of the median income, as well as a portion that is allowed for administrative purposes. 4 1
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California Health and Safety Code Section 34176.1(a)(2)(A) allows up to $500,000 of Housing Successor Funds per fiscal year, plus any percentage change in the cost of living, per fiscal year for homeless prevention and rapid rehousing services for individuals and families who are homeless or would be homeless but for this assistance. These funds may be used for short-term or medium-term rental assistance, contributions toward the construction of local or regional homeless shelters, housing relocation and stabilization services including housing search, mediation, or outreach to property owners, credit repair, security or utility deposits, utility payments, rental assistance for a final month at a location, moving cost assistance, and case management, or other appropriate activities for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing of persons who have become homeless.
Staff reviewed emergency rental assistance programs in nearby jurisdictions to gather more information on best practices and how operators were selected. Jurisdictions with such programs did not launch a Request for Proposals (RFP), but sole-sourced eligible operators who have the capacity to effectively administer an emergency rental assistance program. Many jurisdictions selected core service agencies who previously ran rental assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and had previous service agreements. There are eight core service agencies within San Mateo County who work in collaboration with the County’s Human Service Agency to provide individuals and families with basic emergency and support services to stabilize their living situations. Core Service Agencies provide clients with crisis intervention and referrals based on an evaluation of their needs and qualifications for assistance. By partnering with a core service agency, San Mateo residents will have access to receive the services these agencies provide and can address other disparities that impact their housing stability.
Cities with an Emergency Rental Assistance Program:
City Funding Source Amount Max per
Household
People Served Operator
South San
Francisco
Housing Successor
Funds
$150,000 $4,5000 33 individuals YMCA
Half Moon Bay General Funds $50,000 $3,000 16 individuals Coastside Hope
Daly City Housing Successor
Funds
$50,000 $5,000 10 individuals Daly City
Partnership
Redwood City General Funds $120,000 $5,000 24 individuals Fair Oaks Community
Center
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Foster City* Measure K $35,000 $3,000 11 individuals Samaritan House
Brisbane Housing Successor
Funds
$100,000 –
One time
$4,000 25 individuals Samaritan
House
*Foster City’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program is only available to residents living in Below Market Rate Units
There are multiple factors that can prevent a tenant from making their monthly rent and/or utility payments such as employment loss and emergencies (i.e. medical), among other factors.
These unforeseen circumstances can lead to a household getting evicted, and a resource such as an emergency rental assistance program can help prevent that.
Samaritan House
The City of San Mateo partnered with Samaritan House during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020- 2022) to utilize $961,000 of Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funds for an emergency rental assistance program. The success of that program led to the recommendation of Samaritan House to be the operator for the City’s new emergency rental assistance program. Samaritan House is part of the core service agencies in San Mateo County that provide safety net services to help stabilize households seeking food, clothing, and emergency housing assistance. Aside from the services Samaritan House provides, they are also the only core service agency in the City of San Mateo. Samaritan House administers an existing emergency rental assistance program that uses various funding sources to help with rent payments. The City’s Emergency Rental Assistant Program will supplement this existing program to expand services and rental assistance to more City of San Mateo residents.
Through Samaritan House, individuals who apply to the emergency rental assistance program can be connected to other resources that can help stabilize their household and finances.
Samaritan House provides a variety of services such as food distribution, case management, shelter services, housing case management, and even financial empowerment services.
Samaritan House works in close collaboration with the County’s Human Services Agency to provide individuals and families with basic emergency and support services to stabilize their living situations. Core Service Agencies such as Samaritan House provide clients with crisis intervention and referrals based on an evaluation of their needs and qualifications for additional assistance. Through Samaritan House, a household experiencing certain socio- economic challenges can be addressed and increase their housing and financial stability. 6 1
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Purpose of These Guidelines
The purpose of these guidelines is to define program rules and requirements, and to provide information to potential applicants as well as the community. Since guidelines can never address every type of administrative/accounting problem or situation that may arise during the contract period, the City’s Housing Division staff is available to respond to requests for clarification or additional information. If new procedures or policies are implemented during the contract period, Housing staff will provide timely notification and technical assistance.
Note that these Guidelines are neither intended to be all inclusive or so restrictive that they cannot be amended. Minor modifications to these Guidelines can be made with approval of the Community Development Department Director. Major modifications (such as those that would significantly affect funding levels, potential applicants or recipients) must be approved by the City Council.
Contact Information
The following is contact information for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
Housing Division, Community Development Department
330 West 20th Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 522-7220
Rachel Horst at [email protected]
Jennifer Mora at [email protected]
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Application
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive rental assistance, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Live in the City of San Mateo
Household gross income at 60% AMI or lower of the San Mateo County Income Guidelines
Not related to Landlord
Have a signed lease agreement or application to a rental unit Utility bill must be under the applicant’s name
Income Guidelines
60% AMI – 2026 SAN MATEO COUNTY INCOME GUIDELINES
Size of Family or Number
in Household
Monthly Gross Income Annual Gross Income
1 $7,355 $88,260
2 $8,405 $100,860
3 $9,455 $113,460
4 $10,505 $126,060
5 $11,350 $136,200
6 $12,190 $146,280
7 $13,030 $156,360
8 $13,870 $166,440
Updated June 1, 2026
Gross income is determined as the amount received within the previous 30 days/1 month.
Household income is determined by all household members who are 18 years or older. For cases where a roommate needs financial assistance, they are considered separately from the main household if they are not related to the main household.
Income guidelines are updated on an annual basis; therefore, the most recent income guidelines will be included in the grant agreement if extended for an additional year. 8 1
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Amount and Type of Assistance
The City will provide up to three months of rental and/or utilities assistance in an amount not to exceed $4,000 per household per fiscal year. Security deposits are also an eligible expense if the applicant got displaced. Applicants can seek financial assistance multiple times until they hit the $4,000 limit. However, each time they return to request additional assistance, they must show proof of the latest critical need.
Upon finalizing an application, Samaritan House will introduce the client to additional resources that can increase their housing stability to prevent the risk of displacement after the $4,000 limit. In the case that an applicant has already reached their $4,000 limit, but demonstrates an urgent need to receive assistance, Samaritan House will contact the Community Development Department for approval.
Payments will be made directly to the applicant’s landlord, property management firm, and/or utility company. Under no circumstances will payments be made directly to the applicant.
Samaritan House will process all financial assistance payments.
Duplication of Benefits
Best practices for rental assistance are recommended for Samaritan House to check that the applicant is not receiving duplicative benefits to cover rental costs. To ensure that there is no duplication of benefits, applicants must inform Samaritan House about other financial assistance or applications to other rental assistance programs. Receiving financial aid does not disqualify the applicant from receiving emergency rental assistance but must be noted in their application.
Samaritan House must also ensure that the applicant is not receiving rental assistance through another source of funding through their rental assistance program.
Required Documentation for Tenants
Complete intake form
Proof of rent due, including one of the following:
oEviction notice
oNotice of Delinquent Rent
o3-Day Pay or Quit
Proof of utility bill due
Proof of Identification for each member of the household. One of the following:
oPhoto ID
oBirth certificate
oSocial Security
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Employment/Income Verification
oPaycheck stubs (within the past 30 days)
oCalWorks
oChild Support
oSocial Security
oUnemployment letter
oTermination Letter
oEmployment offer letter
oBank statements for the last 2-3 months
Rental/lease agreement
Application Process
Applicants must complete an application, gather the required documentation noted above, and set an appointment with Samaritan House by calling (650) 347-3648 or visiting their office at 4031 Pacific Boulevard, San Mateo, CA 94403. During their appointment time, applicants will meet with a case manager to ensure their application is complete, and all required documentation is secured. Incomplete applications or missing documentation will result in a delay of services. Once the appointment is done, the case manager will advise the client of the application review process. Clients are contacted about the status of their application within one week of their appointment date.
In the event that an application for rental assistance is denied, the applicant is eligible to submit an appeal to Samaritan House and the Community Development Department and the Housing Division. Applicant must express to Samaritan House their interest in submitting an appeal, and Samaritan House will provide the applicant with the Appeal Request forms and notify City staff.
Appeals will be responded within a week of receiving an appeal request.
Language Access Plan
To increase accessibility to our community members, intake forms will be available in English and Spanish. For other languages, translation and interpretation services can be available throughout the application process.
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Outreach
To promote the availability of the program, City staff will announce the implementation of the program through their Housing and Policy Updates newsletter and through the City’s website and social media channels. Information on the eligibility requirements and on how to apply will be added to the Housing and Neighborhood Services website. Samaritan House promotes its services to the community at large through a host of means. These include flyers, social media, tabling events, presentations, and sharing information with other community-based organizations and governmental entities.
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Grant Administration
Reimbursements
Reimbursements requests are to be prepared by Samaritan House containing invoices for eligible expenses. Reimbursement requests will be prepared on City-provided templates and are due quarterly via email. The following documentation is required to support each listed expense:
Personnel/Administrative Costs:
1. Timesheets (signed by staff and supervisor)
2. Paycheck stubs
3. Fringe benefit documentation
Rental Assistance:
1. Copy of check made to landlord or property management company
2. Copy of applicant intake form
Leveraging Funds
In the case that Samaritan House is in a budget deficit for the emergency rental assistance program, City staff must be notified. Samaritan House is expected to first utilize the $168,000 award for City of San Mateo residents prior to leveraging other funding sources.
Performance Progress Reports
Samaritan House will submit a progress report to the City each quarter to highlight any success or challenges and track how many San Mateo clients were served. City staff will provide a template to Samaritan House to track their progress each quarter. Submissions will be accepted through email.
Staff will utilize the data shared in the performance progress report to prepare an annual progress report for the City Council and will be presented on an annual basis at a City Council meeting.
Recordkeeping
Recordkeeping and Record Retention requirements must be in compliance with 24 CFR 92.508.
Records must be retained for five years after the period of rental assistance ends or from the time the project is closed, whichever is longer. Records shall include documentation of compliance with the requirements stated in these guidelines, including:
•Tenant eligibility
•No duplication of benefits
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•Lease requirements
Documentation will be available for review by City’s Housing staff. Samaritan House is responsible for ensuring that all records are maintained for the appropriate period for all households receiving emergency rental assistance.
Additional Program Information
Additional requirements include but are not limited to:
1. Samaritan House will develop and utilize a standard program application form. Each household must complete the standard application form. If necessary, the City will aid in preparing the form; especially to the elderly, handicapped, non-English speaking persons, and persons who are unable to read and/or write.
2. All households deemed ineligible for assistance must be notified by Samaritan House in writing (or via their preferred method of communication) of such determination and the reasons for such determination. The household should also be notified of other potential resources.
3. Samaritan House should document their efforts to ensure clients are complying with the requirements.
4. Conflict of Interest: Samaritan House must disclose all real, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest to City as outlined in 2 CFR Part 200, as applicable, regarding the receipt of, assistance provided with, or expenditure of City funds. All conflicts of interest must be disclosed and resolved prior to providing emergency rental assistance to the household.
5. Conflicts are applicable to both City staff and Samaritan House staff as well as their immediate family members. This assistance would not be permitted when such conflict existed.
a. Any exceptions to the Conflict of Interest policy can only be granted directly by the City Manager, and no assistance will be issued without approval.
6. Samaritan House has access to technical assistance through the City’s Housing Division.
Compliance Monitoring
The City is responsible for conducting monitoring reviews of the Emergency Rental Assistance program.
1. The City will utilize a risk assessment tool to determine the relative risk among funded entities and projects.
2. Samaritan House will receive on-site, desk, or remote monitoring reviews based on the risk assessment.