SHELTER, Inc. has been awarded funds as a result of the CARES Act by the cities of Concord, Walnut Creek, Pittsburg and Antioch, as well as Contra Costa County to provide rental and utility assistance. Each municipality has priorities for the target population to be served, but all include households with minor children or senior citizens.

SHELTER, Inc. is a critical component of the human services safety net in the greater Bay Area. SHELTER, Inc. staff have been working from their homes since early March to keep participants, volunteers, and colleagues safe from COVID-19. Following the guidance of federal, state and local health officials, a new online application form is being launched at www.shelterinc.org/renthelp. A Spanish translation is available.

“We are often the first and the last line of defense for vulnerable members of our community,” said CEO John Eckstrom. “We encourage households with minor children or senior citizens to apply for assistance online as soon as possible. At this point we don’t know if funds will be available through a future federal allocation.”

As an essential service, SHELTER, Inc.’s homeless shelters in Contra Costa (Mountain View Family Shelter), Solano (SHELTER Solano), and Sacramento (River District Shelter) counties have remained open and can be accessed via each county’s respective referral systems including 211.