In June 2023, SAJE and other tenant rights advocates reached a settlement in our lawsuit against the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) over their administration of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) through Housing Is Key.

This settlement impacts tenants who applied for rent relief through Housing Is Key on or before March 31, 2022, and who still have pending applications or were denied on or after June 7, 2022. It may also help some tenants who were denied prior to June 7, 2022.

This settlement does not apply to any local rental assistance programs run by a city or county. It does not reopen the Housing Is Key program to new applications.

Under the settlement, the state has revised the denial notice to provide specific information on the exact reason for the denial. You will receive a new denial notice, along with a chance to appeal, if you:

• Received a denial notice on or after June 7, 2022;
• Never received a denial notice;
• Submitted an appeal but have not received a decision on their appeal as of May 30, 2023.

You will have 30 days to submit your appeal once you receive your new denial notice.

Tenants who are not sure of the date of their denial can call the Housing Is Key call center at (833) 430-2122.

Tenants can also check their status in the Housing Is Key application portal here.

To connect with an organization that can assist you with your appeal, call the Local Partner Network at (833) 687-0967.

For a detailed FAQ about the settlement, click here.