State

Posted: March 1, 2022  Charlene Muhammad | California Black Media

 Gov. Gavin Newsom missed an opportunity to help prevent sexual and domestic violence when he failed to include funding for intervention and support programs in the state’s 2022-23 budget, advocates say.

  In January, Newsom presented a $286.4 billion budget  Domestic Violence advocates say they are hopeful.  

The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) and over 100 supporting organizations submitted a request for $15 million per year ongoing. 

They point out their request was modest and well within the capacity for the state’s budget. Yet, for a second year, Newsom ignored the request, and along with it, promising strategies that address the root causes of violence, they say. 

“In the world of politics and dollars, things are always changing, so absolutely, we are planning to redress, and we hope that things will change,” Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, CPEDV executive director, told California Black Media. 

"Even though it wasn't included, initially, in this budget, we know the governor has lots of power. He can make any change he wants to at any time, and so we will continue to try to inform him of the importance of including prevention funding in our state budget,” she continued.  

In a recent press release, leaders of the coalition said they will keep pushing for funding. They remain optimistic that the Legislature and Governor will work together to provide funding in the final budget in June that will support the critical prevention work their organizations do across the state – especially successful programs that were previously funded. 

Moore-Orbih says it is not a matter of changing Newsom's mind. She believes he already understands the urgent need for the funding. But “something political” could have moved his office to not include it, Moore-Orbih said. 

 ValorUS, a national organization that works to prevent and end sexual violence, conducted research on how prevention could save thousands of lives lost to domestic violence every year. It found that one third of women and one quarter of men in California will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes.  

The costs of sexual and domestic violence are astronomical, continued ValorUS.  

The lifetime economic burden of domestic violence in California is nearly $400 billion and sexual violence costs the state of California $140 billion annually, according to ValorUS’s recent report, “The Cost and Consequences of Sexual Violence in California.” 

“By preventing sexual assault or preventing an abusive relationship, the state can save billions in healthcare and law enforcement costs, reduce the cost of lost productivity, and improve mental health,” according to the report released in 2018.  

According to the Little Hoover Commission, which began studying California’s response to intimate partner violence in late 2019, California does not have a substantial prevention or early intervention program. 

In May 2020, the Commission released its first report on the topic, Intimate Partner Violence: Getting Money to Those on the Front Line.” It asked the Governor and Legislature to provide grant funding upfront to service providers. 

“The state should create and adequately fund prevention and early intervention programs and ensure that those initiatives are included in all applicable statewide strategic plans ranging from early childhood education to reducing homelessness,” the authors wrote. 

Moore-Orbih agrees.  

“Something like 5,000 women lose their lives every year to domestic violence, and the numbers are probably even greater than that because there is a blurred area due to how law enforcement determines whether or not the death of a woman was as a result of domestic violence or some other issue,” she emphasized. 

It is important to have a vision for prevention, backed up by dollars, not just an increase in how people respond to the crisis, Moore-Orbih went on, adding that the cycle of violence will continue until something meaningful is done to break it. 

"If we don't do prevention work, if we don't start to shift our thinking, our culture, if we don't start shifting our behavior, in terms of relationships, if we don't start raising our children in safe and healthy environments, then that means what we have been experiencing, we will continue to experience which means children are going to grow up in violent environments, and they're going to be traumatized,” she warned.

May 17, 2021 By Gustavo F. Velasquez & Tunua Thrash-Ntuk |

Special to California Black Media Partners

Due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, paying rent has become a real struggle for millions of Californians. But help is available to renters and landlords through the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program.

Based on income level, qualified applicants can receive assistance with unpaid rent and utilities and with future payments.

Funding comes from the $2.6 billion in federal emergency rental assistance provided to support both state and local rent relief programs in California. The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program isn’t the sole resource for rent relief for California renters and landlords; many cities and counties are either currently administering their own rent relief programs – or launching one soon.

Cities and counties with populations greater than 200,000 are employing one of three rent relief options: option A) the state-administered CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program; option B) a local city- or county-administered program using the same eligibility criteria as option A; and option C) a local city-or county-administered program using different eligibility criteria, in some cases, in combination with a portion administered by the state.

While the programs vary, the goals are the same: Keep people housed and provide quick assistance to those at the highest risk of eviction. To simplify access to rent relief programs in California, the state launched HousingIsKey.com. The website directs renters and landlords to the programs that they may qualify for, based on where they live. After applicants provide the address of their rental property (landlords) or their residence (renters), they are sent to a website where they can review eligibility criteria and complete an application. Applicants can also call the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Call Center (833-430-2122) to find out which program to apply for and get help in a variety of languages.

Who’s eligible for the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program

Renters who have suffered a financial hardship because of COVID-19 and are behind on rent or utilities (or need help paying upcoming bills) are eligible to apply. They must have an Area Median Income (AMI) below 80% for the county they live in (this amount is calculated for the applicant during the application process). Either a renter or a landlord can initiate an application, online or through the call center, and both are encouraged to participate to maximize the amount of assistance received. The state’s program is prioritizing applications from households at the highest risk of eviction – those under 50% of the Area Median Income.

Landlords participating in the program receive 80% of an eligible tenant’s unpaid rent accrued between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, if they agree to waive the remaining 20% of unpaid rent. Renters whose landlords choose not to participate in the program can apply directly, and receive 25% of unpaid rent accrued between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, which can help protect them from eviction under SB 91 if they pay that 25% directly to their landlords. Renters can also apply to receive financial assistance with future rent. They may also qualify for assistance with unpaid or future utility payments.

Applicant information is kept private. Renter’s information will not be shared with the landlord, and vice versa. Applicants may be eligible to participate in the program regardless of immigration status and proof of citizenship is not required. Rent relief assistance does not count as earned income and will not interfere with eligibility for any other state benefit assistance programs such as CalFresh.

The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program is supported through a $3 million public education and outreach campaign, which includes radio, digital media, out-of-home, and print advertising. Thousands of statewide community-based organizations, trade and industry groups and businesses have been enlisted to assist with outreach to communities most in need. The state has also allocated $24 million to support on-the-ground organizations to work directly with applicants in communities throughout the state. To make an appointment with a local organization, applicants are encouraged to call 833-687-0967.

The Authors

Gustavo F. Velasquez is Director, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, executive director at the Los Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LA LISC).