Milpitas is launching a rent relief program to help low-income and homeless residents get back on their feet.
The city has allocated $700,000 of state funds to provide financial assistance for 140 residents struggling with housing-related costs, including past-due rental payments, eviction and homelessness relief. The program will offer up to $5,000 a year for chosen applicants. Applications can be found online on the city’s website, and are open until December 2025.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must be a Milpitas resident, have at least six months of demonstrated residency and rent from a verified landlord using an established lease agreement. They must also be at or below 120% of the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s income limit for Santa Clara County. For a family of four, that level equals to about $221,150. The funds will go directly to the landlords to pay the rent.
In a statement, Mayor Carmen Montano said the program was created to address critical housing needs and to ensure residents have the support they deserve.
“By providing essential rent and deposit assistance, as well as support during processing delays with the Santa Clara Housing Authority, we are strengthening the foundation of our community and offering hope to those in need,” Montano said. “Together, we are working to make Milpitas a place where everyone can thrive.”
To process the applications, Milpitas is partnering with Forward, an organization which partners with governments and organizations to deliver resources and funding to communities.
Forward’s Director of Client Services Tahmina Martelly said she is excited to see the city launch initiatives to tackle rising housing costs, which are a concern for people all across the nation.
“That’s what we’ve seen in Milpitas, that they are listen to their constituents,” Martelly said. “It’s always exciting for us when we see any municipality listening and being proactive in their community.”
The program comes at a time when the median household income in Milpitas is $169,460, 46% greater than the median annual income across the state. About 64% of Milpitas residents own their own home, and the median gross rent is $2,762. A household would need to make $90,880 per year to rent a typical apartment without cost burden, according to the city.
This isn’t the first rental assistance program Milpitas has launched. In April, the city announced a Workforce Housing Rental Assistance Program to provide 50 households working or living in Milpitas with $645 a month for up to two years. Applications closed in May.