Coronavirus COVID-19

COVID-19 "Coronavirus" Update:  Our offices are closed to walk-ins. Please click this link to get updated information on how to contact our offices.  

Important Message:

LSNC continues to accept new clients and process current client cases through telephone and email communication.  Our local offices are instituting limited walk-in hours for applicants who cannot use the telephone to request services. Applicants for services should visit our local office webpage to get updated information on how to contact our offices for help.    

COVID-19 RESOURCES

Know Your Rights Eviction Information (Animated Videos)

Rent Payment Template letter
Declaration of COVID Financial Distress
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: COVID-19 Eviction Protections

HOUSING:  

Is there money available to help pay my current or back due rent? 

Yes.  Some cities, counties, or non-profit organizations allocated funds for rental assistance.  In addition, California recently approved a statewide rental assistance program.  Some cities and counties chose to have the state run their program.  Others wanted to run their own program. 

The state-run rental assistance program is open now on the Housing is Key website. The program can pay for rent and utilities for past or future months.  You should apply right away.  The program stops taking new applications on March 31, 2022.  If you live within our service area, you can contact your local office for assistance.  We have a limited number of volunteers who can help submit rental assistance applications.  

Sacramento County's rental assistance program is closed.  

I can’t pay my rent now. Can I be evicted?

If you have not been able to pay rent for any time since March 1, 2020, your landlord must give you a 15-day notice. This new notice must give you 15 days to pay rent or to tell the landlord you cannot pay because of COVID-19. Your landlord must give you a form called a “Declaration” with the 15-day notice.

If you cannot pay your rent because of COVID-19, you must sign and give the Declaration to your landlord. You must do this within 15 business days. If you do this, your landlord cannot evict you for not paying the rent right now.

Keep reading to learn what steps you should take to protect yourself.  

If you couldn’t pay your rent between March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020: 

You can never be evicted for rent you couldn’t pay between March 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020 if you:

  • Couldn’t pay rent for COVID-19 reasons AND
  • Sign and return the form called “Declaration of COVID-19 Related Financial Distress” your landlord has to give you.

You MUST sign the declaration form and give it to your landlord in the way they tell you to within FIFTEEN DAYS of getting it.

You don’t have to wait for your landlord to give you the declaration form. You can sign the declaration form and give it to your landlord. Even if you give your landlord a signed declaration form, your landlord might give you another one to sign. If that happens, you must sign and return that declaration form too.

If you send it to your landlord in the mail, send it in a way that you can track it. You can go to your local Post Office to mail it with a “Certificate of Mailing.” Mailing the declaration with a “Certificate of Mailing” gives you proof you mailed it. If you need help, ask a Post Office employee for their help.

If you can’t pay your rent between September 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021:

You can never be evicted for rent you couldn’t pay between September 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021 if you:

  • Couldn’t pay rent for COVID-19 reasons AND
  • Sign and return the form called “Declaration of COVID-19 Related Financial Distress” every time your landlord asks you to AND
  • Pay at least 25% of your September 2020 – September 2021 total rent by September 30, 2021 or apply and receive 100% rental assistance.  Total rent means your rent and any charges you pay your landlord, such as utilities.

Tell your landlord what month your rent payment is for. You should write on the check or money order that the rent payment is for the current month of rent. You should also write a letter telling the landlord to apply your rent to the current month. Give this letter to your landlord at the same time you give them your rent.

Expiration:  Unless California extends this new law again, these protections end September 30, 2021.  On October 1, 2021 you have to pay your full monthly rent on time.

Rent Payment Template letter
Declaration of COVID Financial Distress

I can’t pay 25% of my September 2020 – September 2021 rent by September 30, 2021. What happens then?

You should still sign the declaration form every time your landlord asks you to. If you do, your landlord can’t file an eviction case for unpaid rent until October 1, 2021.

If you can’t pay 25% of your September 2020 – September 2021 rent by September 30, 2021 or apply and receive 100% rental assistance, your landlord can file an eviction case on or after October 1, 2021. If you get court eviction papers, you should seek legal advice.  

I didn’t lose income from the pandemic. But my monthly bills have gone up because of COVID-19. Do I have the same protections?

Yes. If your monthly bills have gone up for reasons related to the pandemic, you are likely protected. You should read the “Declaration of COVID-19 Related Financial Distress.” Make sure your reason fits into one of the reasons on the declaration form.

My landlord has given me a lot of notices lately. What do they mean?

Seek legal advice if you do not understand a notice from your landlord.  If you are in LSNC's service area, please contact us.  If you live outside of LSNC's service area, please find your closest legal aid here

I got an eviction notice but my landlord didn’t tell me why they’re evicting me. What should I do?

The new law says a renter can’t be evicted without a reason if the notice expires between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. This means that any eviction notice or notice to move out that you get must say why the landlord wants you to move out. 

The new law also says the landlord can only evict you for certain reasons. For example, in most cases a landlord cannot evict you right now because they want to remodel the home you rent. 

If you have a notice telling you to move out, you should seek legal advice.

What should I do if I get court papers? Who can help me?

If you get eviction court papers, you should seek legal advice right away. If you live in a Northern California county, you can call your local Legal Services of Northern California office. Our office can give you free legal advice about when and how to respond. We will explain how the new law applies to you. If you ignore the court papers, you may be evicted. 

You can also find the legal services office closest to you by visiting www.LawHelpCA.org.

There are other federal, state, and local laws that may also protect you.

Call us for free legal advice. We can help you find out what laws apply to you.

PAID FAMILY LEAVE

People unable to work because they are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19, as certified by a medical professional, are eligible for Paid Family Leave, which is up to 6 weeks of benefits.

PUBLIC BENEFITS: CalWORKs and CalFresh:

CalFresh (Food Stamps):  Due to COVID-19, the state agreed to issue emergency food stamps.  Emergency food stamps increases everyone’s food stamp grant to the maximum limit allowed by law.  

If you think you are eligible for CalFresh, you should apply right away. You do not have to do an in-person interview. You can sign your application online or over the telephone.  CalFresh is now accepted at many online grocery retailers. 

Here are some changes that make it easier for you to get and keep your benefits: 

  • CalWORKs: The County can waive the rules regarding homeless assistance, including granting it more than once in a twelve month period.
  • CalWORKs:  Eligibility for diversion payments even if a family member has “timed out”
  • CalWORKs and CalFresh:  Counties can relax certain application requirements, including requiring proof of residency, identification, and allowing you to reasonably estimate your income. 
  • Welfare-to-Work: Counties can waive requirements if you are unable to meet your hours due to the COVID-19 emergency.  

PUBLIC BENEFITS: Social Security:  Social Security offices are now open for business.  All pending hearings are by telephone.  If you prefer an in-person hearing, you can ask for one. 

HEALTH:  Do I have to pay to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?  

No.  The COVID-19 vaccine is free.  The vaccine is available for everyone who is 16 years old or older. If you would like to sign up for an appointment, please visit MyTurn.org

HEALTH: I’m worried about COVID-19, but I don’t have health insurance.  What are my options for getting covered?

If you make too much to qualify for Medi-Cal, you can apply for insurance through Covered California.   A new federal law expanded eligibility to more people and reduced costs.  For more information, visit CoveredCA.com

You can call your local hospital or health clinic and ask if they can enroll you in Medi-Cal’s special “COVID-19 uninsured” group program. This program will cover screening, testing, and treatment for COVID-19 at no cost to you. There are no income, resource, immigration, or other requirements to qualify. 

The COVID-19 Uninsured Group program is available to California residents who have no insurance or are under-insured (have private insurance that does not cover COVID-19 testing and treatment at no cost).  For help finding a provider that can enroll you in this program, call the Medi-Cal nurse helpline at: (877) 409-9052.

HEALTH: Does my insurance have to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment?  

For Medi-Cal patients:

Medi-Cal provides no-cost care to Medi-Cal beneficiaries seeking testing, screening, and treatment for COVID-19.  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) issued guidance to Medi-Cal health plans to ensure access to medically necessary services in a timely manner.  This guidance included: 

  • Covering all medically necessary emergency care without prior authorization, whether that care is provided by an in-network or out-of-network provider.  
  • Waiving prior authorization requests for services, including screening and testing, related to COVID-19.  
  • Offering access to out-of-network services where appropriate and required, as more COVID-19 cases emerge in California.  
  • Ensuring members are not liable for balance bills from providers, including balance bills related to testing of COVID-19.  
  • Offering members and providers the option to utilize telehealth services to deliver care when medically appropriate, as a means to limit members’ exposure to others who may be infected with COVID-19.  
  • Approving transportation requests in a timely manner.

You can also find some special policies for accessing medication for fee-for-service (FFS) Medi-Cal beneficiaries here.

DHCS also issued guidance to pharmacy providers regarding access to prescription medications for fee-for-service Medi-Cal beneficiaries.  This guidance included instructions on how to process waivers of certain utilization limits on quantity, frequency, and duration of medications dispensed.

For Medicare patients: 

  • Medicare covers the lab tests for COVID-19. You pay no out-of-pocket costs .
  • Medicare covers all medically necessary hospitalizations. This includes if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and might otherwise have been discharged from the hospital after an inpatient stay, but instead you need to stay in the hospital under quarantine.
  • At this time, there's no vaccine for COVID-19. However, if one becomes available, it will be covered by all Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D).
  • If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you have access to these same benefits. Medicare allows these plans to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 lab tests. Many plans offer additional telehealth benefits beyond the ones described below. Check with your plan about your coverage and costs.

For Covered California and Private Insurance Patients:

For commercial plans regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) or the California Department of Insurance (CDI), both departments issued guidance directing California health plans to: 

  • Eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for all COVID-19 testing and screening;
  • Waive prior authorization requirements for services related to COVID-19 testing, screening, and treatment;
  • Waive prescription drug prior authorization requirements and lift quantity limits; and
  • Allow out-of-network access to medical care and prescription drugs.

HEALTH:  How can I keep Medi-Cal during the pandemic? 

All Medi-Cal renewals are suspended until the end of the public health emergency. This means your Medi-Cal should stay active until April 16, 2022, even if your situation changes.   

Will getting COVID-19 testing or treatment harm my immigration status?

On March 13, the federal government confirmed that the new public charge rule will not consider treatment and testing for COVID-19 (even if Medi-Cal pays for the testing and treatment). 

“The Public Charge rule does not restrict access to testing, screening, or treatment of communicable diseases, including COVID-19. In addition, the rule does not restrict access to vaccines for children or adults to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases."  For more information on social programs for immigrants, please visit CRLAF's site.

HEALTH: I received stimulus payments.  Will that affect my Medi-Cal eligibility?  

Medi-Cal will not count stimulus checks or the extra Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC) benefits as income, so they should not affect your Medi-Cal eligibility.  

Additional Health Resource:

Legal Services of Northern California is part of The Health Consumer Alliance (HCA).  The HCA will be regularly updating a COVID-19 page resource page on its website.  

Please call your local LSNC office if you are having problems securing benefits, getting supportive services, and accessing the health care that you need.  

For more information on COVID-19, please see California's COVID-19 information page or visit your county's public health page.