Local

FREE Informational Seminar: What Would You Do If You Were the Victim of a Crime?

Empire News Network

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino City Council Member Damon L. Alexanderin conjunction with the San Bernardino District Attorney’sOffice presents, “Victim/Witness Informational Seminar”, on Tuesday, April 20 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

If you have ever wondered what would happen if you were a victim of a crime and what you would do or where you would go, then this seminar is for you. The guest speaker of the event will be Victim Advocate, Ryan Isenburg. Resources will be provided during the presentation with a Q&A session immediately following.

Please visit https://zoom.us/j/92336058076 to register.

VIDEO: River Chancer: Kayaker Rescued After Falling Out Of His Boat 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Firefighters from the Franklin Fire department acted swiftly to rescue a kayaker from a flooded river after his kayak capsized. The incident took place at Harpeth River in the city of Franklin, Tennessee.

In a press release shared on March 28 from the City of Franklin, authorities reported that the Franklin Fire department received an emergency call alerting them to a sportsman who was desperately trying to re-enter his overturned kayak.

Emergency crews responded immediately, but it took them around 15 minutes to find the man. In their search assisted by the police, they used a drone and a thermal camera.

“With high water levels, strong currents, trees, and debris, it’s hazardous to enter flooded rivers and water. These individuals were fortunate,” said the fire department’s spokesperson.

They finally spotted the man holding onto a tree, surrounded by floodwaters, close to the Lewisburg Pike canoe launch. Using a boat, the firefighters successfully reached the man, who climbed from the three into the boat on his own.

Back on dry ground, he was examined by medics from Williamson Medical Center EMS.

The man, aged 60, who was not named, did not suffer any severe injuries but was shaken up, cold, and had a few scratches.

Along with this kayaker, there were three others, including a man whose kayak also capsized.

He also took shelter on a tree but somehow managed to get back to shore that emergency services. He then spoke to a local homeowner to raise the alarm.

The man, aged 60, who was not named, did not suffer any severe injuries. (FranklinFire/Zenger News)

None of the other three kayakers were injured, the fire department informed.

Accidents involving a kayak or a canoe are common in the U.S. As per a report by American Canoe Association states that “75 percent of the paddling-related fatalities involved canoeing and 25 percent involved kayaking.”

The report further states that “83 percent of the victims who died while canoeing was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident. Occupant movement/weight shift plays a significant role in approximately half of all canoeing accidents. Roughly 50 percent of the victims in a canoe- and kayak-related fatalities were fishing at the accident.

At least 25 percent of the victims in fatal canoeing accidents are believed to have consumed alcohol immediately before the accident.”

In 2019, a total of 556 fatal recreational boating accidents took place in the U.S. as per recreational boating statistics. There were 3612 non-fatal boating accidents; the total percentage of recreational boating accidents resulting in death is 13 percent, as per data from 2019.

(Edited by Ojaswin Kathuria and Vaibhav Vishwanath Pawar.)



The post VIDEO: River Chancer: Kayaker Rescued After Falling Out Of His Boat  appeared first on Zenger News.

April 8: Time for Change Annual Gala Presents “She Is…”

Empire News Network

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Thursday, April 8 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Time for Change Foundation will be presenting their 19th Annual “She Is…” Virtual Awards and Gala. If you have not registered, there is still time, but it is running out!

The 19th Annual “SHE IS…” Virtual Awards Gala, will pay homage to the amazing women who have rebuilt their lives, reunified their families and regained their voices for change. COVID-19 has brought with it a dizzying amount of fear, uncertainty, and change. Homelessness has increased, safety net programs have been torn through, and our childcare system is buckling under its own weight. Yet, in the face of future uncertainty, SHE IS…

“SHE IS…” still standing up for racial justice.

“SHE IS…” still working to advance causes that benefit children.

“SHE IS…” still ensuring that no woman is released from incarceration without the protection and support of her sisters.

SHE IS… trailblazing, conquering, surviving.

SHE IS… an example of the most relentless of spirits.

To learn more about Time For Change Foundation and the work we do visit us at www.timeforchangefoundation.org.

The Singer Merrion Morey is What it Do!

By Lue Dowdy

What up I.E., and everybody! I’m a firm believer that without music the world would be blah! Allow me to introduce a good friend of mine, the talented Merrion Morey. I’ve had the honor of working with Mr. Morey in the past on a community music project. I love his work ethic and commitment to his craft.

Music has been part of Mr. Morey’s DNA ever since he learned how to sing in church. He enjoys writing music, composing songs, and to some degree, collaborating with other artists. Having the pleasure of meeting some of the industries poignant artists and composers throughout the years, he has made a well know presence in the music industry. Mr. Morey has shared the stage with notables such as: Stanley Clarke, Jeffrey Osborne, and he has also sung for The Delfonics Review.

Giving back to the community is very important to Mr. Morey. He has a passion for youth. Utilizing his musical gift, he was able to contribute to a youth boxing program by creating an album in which a portion of the proceeds was used to help provide equipment for their gym.

He continues to write and compose songs as an outward expression of his inner thoughts. Mr. Morey’s music can be accessed through all music stream outlets as well as social media. He’s also available for booking! So, the next time you need a smooth R&B singer please think about Merrion Morey. Until next week ya’ll, L’s!

The Virus, Vaccines and New Variants: Weighing the Threat of a Mutant COVID Strain

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

Health care specialists, including several medical doctors, are keeping their eyes on coronavirus variants that some fear could lead to new strains of COVID-19 that could possibly undermine global efforts to vaccinate people and stem the global crisis.

According to the Centers of Disease Control, the B117 variant (first detected in the UK), the most threatening because of its prevalence, is the cause of 20 % of new infections in the United states – and 30 % of new infections in Florida.

Dr. Nirav Shah, senior scholar at Stanford University’s School of Medicine and chief medical officer of Sharecare, a health data services firm, says there are currently four different variants of COVID-19. He said the virus is adapting because “of evolution and natural selection.”

“The more virus particles there are, the more chances that a single virus particle may be a little different than the rest of them,” said Shah. “One or more virus particles is all you need to have a slight change. Maybe these spike protein changes – just a little – and it can attach to cells better than all the other particles.”

Shah said the virus is adapting as it encounters new hosts. But scientists are in a race to get everyone inoculated before the level of the disease in a community gets too high.

The B117 strain, he says, is 50 more % infectious than the original strain of the coronavirus and it could lead to up to a 60 % to 70 % higher rate of deaths, according to a paper published in the journal Nature.

Shah said some of the COVID-19 virus variants could reinfect people who have contracted the disease before. The good news, he says, is that the B117 is susceptible to existing vaccine therapies, although other variants like 1351 (first detected in South Africa) and P1 (first detected in Brazil), could reduce the effectiveness of the COVID shots in patients.

Fortunately, to date, scientists studying COVID-19 have not identified any variants that have been designated “Variants of High Consequence.” Those in that category “cause more disease and more hospitalizations, and they have been shown to defeat medical countermeasures, like vaccines, anti-viral drugs and mono-clonal antibodies,” says Shah.

Shah was speaking at recent news briefing on COVID-19 Virus variants organized by Ethnic Media Services. Other panelists on the Zoom teleconference were: Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, a member of the Latino Coalition Against COVID-19; Dr. Dali Fan, a UC Davis Health Science clinical professor and Dr. Kim Rhoads, an African American physician and Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, at UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine.

Although the average citizen may be surprised at how COVID-19 is changing, Fan, said the virus’ adaption and mutation are much like other diseases.

He also presented some statistics from the Center for Disease Control about the coronavirus vaccines and their development. He said the vaccines were tested before they were released to the public.

“All three vaccines are very effective against symptomatic COVID-19,” said Fan. He said there are differences in the content of the vaccines and how they are stored. Fan said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires one dose, is easier to transport and is perfect for pop-up clinics and rural areas.

“It may be a better option for people who want to get fully vaccinated quickly,” he said.

Turner-Lloveras said that one of the issues overlooked during the coronavirus pandemic is the impact of the digital divide. Black and Latino communities often lag in vaccination rates because they don’t have access to high-speed Internet to discover information and arrange for their vaccination appointments.

“Internet access is a civil rights issue, at this stage,” said Turner-Lloveras. “All of the resources that are provided to people are online.”

He also said more than 20 million seniors don’t have broadband access. “This is a group that needs to be vaccinated, but they don’t have access to the Internet,” he said.

He’s trying to solve this problem with a group called the Digital Companeros, who meet with senior citizens and help them walk through online registration and information. The organization also has a WhatsApp group to target people who access the Internet through their cell phones.

According to Rhoads, some of these reports about Black hesitancy and under-vaccination may not be accurate. She talked about her experiences serving a predominantly African American population in San Francisco through Umoja Health, a coalition of community health organizations that joined their efforts to increase COVID-19 awareness, testing and vaccinations in Black communities in the Bay Area.

The organization held a mass testing event in the Sunnydale and Bayview Hunters Point neighborhoods in San Francisco where they screened about 400 people, taking a community-based approach she calls “service in the name of public health.” No one came back positive for the coronavirus at a time when there was a 2 % positivity rate in all of San Francisco. She said the people, who were tested by community members, were also eager to get the vaccines. However, she attributes their willingness and openness with their confidence in Umoja Health.

“The community developed rapid trust in us. I was very surprised by this and they called out to us when one community member tested positive,” she said. “We saw neighbors going to door to door, knocking telling people to come out and get tested.

“What we recognized from that mass-testing site was that it was not going to work for the African American community,” said Rhoads. “But something more intimate would.”

Rhoads said when African Americans know and trust the health care workers, there is more participation. Because of the organization’s successful testing effort, Alameda County has now entrusted it to provide vaccines in Oakland and areas across Alameda County with African American populations.

“It is based on a pop-up model. We mobilize with local folks who go door-to-door, hand-to-hand, face-to-face, peer-to-peer, asking questions about COVID. As we moved into the vaccination phase, the Alameda Public Health Department recognized that as a major asset. They knew we could reach people, they couldn’t.”

Commentary: Teachers Hesitant to Return to Classes Have Led to Safer School Reopening Plans

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

A year ago, K-12 education was closed across California as part of an effort to mitigate the spread of the COVID -19 virus.

At that time, it was assumed that children could be a primary driver of the virus like they are Influenza A. It took a few months, but health officials determined that COVID -19 is not a pediatric driven pandemic.

Young kids can get the virus, but they are not significant transmitters. Most experience mild or no symptoms and while some might have to be hospitalized, death is rare for children. Children under 15 have a lower risk of dying from COVID-19 than dying from the flu or suicide. A side effect of the virus is a serious and rare illness called multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS-C, which can be fatal or cause lasting heart damage.

In states where schools have restarted in person classes, data show levels of transmission of the virus is much lower than in the surrounding community when strict safety protocols developed by public health officials have been adopted. The safety protocols include universal masking, basic hand hygiene, classroom ventilation, maintaining increased physical distance, and contact tracing.

While guidelines for the safe opening of schools have been available for months from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the 58 California county health departments, according to federal data California has lagged other states in offering in-person instruction to students. 18 % of California schools offer in-person learning compared to all schools in Florida and 62 % in Connecticut. Schools in California have not been able to open while their county was in the most restrictive purple tier indicating high case rates of COVID-19.

Many school districts including Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified have recently announced plans to make in-person instruction available to students who want it. President Biden has been pushing for all K-8 schools to open by May 1 which is the 100th day of his administration. As part of the push to safely reopen schools the Biden administration is allocating about $125 Billion for K-12 education as part of the American Rescue Plan.

In an effort to salvage what’s left of this academic year and prepare for the 2021-22 school year, the Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 86 and Governor Newsom signed it, offering a $2 Billion COVID-19 safety fund for school districts in the red tier to share if they manage to offer in-person instruction for grades K-6 and at least one middle or high school grade by April 1. For those that can’t, they will lose 1 percent of the incentive every day they are not open through mid-May.

Newsom said when he signed AB 86, “There is nothing more foundational to an equitable society than getting our kids safely back into classrooms. Our kids are missing too may rites of passage – field trips, proms, and graduations.”

Students and parents are anxious for schools to safely open for in-person instruction. The term “learning loss” has become synonymous with distance learning which was only intended to be used by school districts for a short period of time. For many students, the year that they have been shut up at home has not only taken a toll on their academic progress but affected their mental health and society may be reckoning with the fallout for many years to come.

In general, Black and Latino children have struggled more academically than their Asian and White peers. Keeping up with schoolwork has been complicated by not having access to technology and reliable internet. Concentrating on studies has been more difficult when they live in communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

For many families remote learning created a childcare crisis, forcing some parents to leave their jobs. Many parents became frustrated with balancing jobs and supervising their children’s lessons.

The power to restart in-class instruction is vested in local school boards. It’s their responsibility to develop a plan for the safe opening of their schools relying on direction from the governor and Legislature and following safety protocols provided by the CDC and state and local public health directives.

The willingness of parents to send their kids back to the classroom varies based on their experience dealing with Covid-19 which is related to race, ethnicity and income. White and wealthier families that are frustrated with remote learning and as a group has been least affected by the virus are demanding resumption of in person instruction. They trust that their school district can safely reopen.

Black and Latino parents while wanting their children to return to school have experienced the inequitable impact of Covid-19 and are concerned about exposing their children to the virus in a school setting and bringing it home. While these parents understand their children are not faring well academically and mentally with distance learning they are not willing to risk their safety.

Contributing to the unease that Black and Latino parents have about school reopening classrooms has been their children’s teachers expressing their hesitancy to returning to school without all teachers and staff having the opportunity to be vaccinated. Studies show that transmission in schools appears to be primarily from teacher to teacher, then from teacher to student, but almost never from student to teacher. So vaccinating teachers is important to everyone’s school safety.

While the stance that the teachers took may have delayed in-school learning, Newsom decided that 10 % of vaccines a week would be reserved for teachers and other school staff. Although AB 86 and CDC guidelines have not included vaccinating teachers in the strategy for safe school reopening, school districts have included it as part of their teacher union agreements. In addition, regular testing of students and staff is another strategy being adopted by school districts to detect virus on campus before it can spread.

While zero risk of COVID-19 infection is not possible, results from hundreds of school districts opened across the county and the world show virtually no communal spread of the virus, if safety

protocols are followed. By listening to the concerns expressed by teachers, school districts have made in-person instruction safer for students and given parents more confidence to send their kids back to school.


About the Author

Joe W. Bowers Jr. is an advocate for education opportunities for all and the education writer for CBM. He is a former corporate engineer and business executive and is a graduate of Stanford University.

Female Domestic Workers Face Harsh Work Realities, Lack Financial Security


By Christian Valera Rebolledo

Domestic work is a double-edged sword for Latin American women.

While it is a viable job option, it is also martyrdom for many women: an imposition of old gender roles and constant abuses.

“I have been working in several houses since I was around 11-years-old,” said Ignacia Velasco, 63, originally from Paso del Macho, Veracruz. “My family was impoverished, so I liked to earn money. My parents told me: ‘Tomorrow, you will help that lady, Missus X.’ All of this happened during the early 1960s when indigenous women did not have the same rights as the rest of the population.”

Mexico is a country with a high level of gender disparity. Despite the many feminist marches and social advances, women still face serious issues, ranging from discrimination in specific work career fields to sexual abuse in the workplace. They are heightened for women engaging in domestic work, according to the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED.)

In Latin America, housework is usually carried out by a vulnerable sector, mainly by indigenous or women of color. They have to work long hours in exchange for meager wages without any social support or legal benefits.

As a child, Velasco faced both good and unpleasant moments. Although she did not consider them abuse at the time, some of those situations have given her pause during her old age.

Girls often take care of the children of other families and do not have an opportunity to attend school. (Ia Huh/Unsplash)

“Back in my village, there was a house where they did treat me well, but where I had to do a massive amount of work,” she said. “I used to have to wake the children up and cook them their breakfast. Then, I had to take them to school — an opportunity denied to me. Despite being also a girl, I did not and could not go to school. Afterward, I had to wash the whole family’s clothes and cook everyone’s meal. Finally, I had to tidy up the whole house. Nowadays, I know it was not normal to place that workload to an 11-year-old girl.”

Velasco used to do her job robot-like, taking pleasure in the fact that she was paid at the end of the week and could spend some of it on a soda. For her, this was a luxury. The rest of the money went to her mother to help pay the family’s expenses.

“There were seven of us, and we had to eat three times a day,” she said. “Money was necessary.”

There are many dangers for a girl dedicated to that life.

“I can now see that I did not have a decent childhood,” said Velasco. “I am grateful that I was never physically abused, yet I suffered harassment from my bosses because they found me pretty. Fortunately, the harassment never became sexual abuse.”

In a moment of reflection, Velasco realized she never had any benefits or social security and could not access a pension, which has forced her to keep working.

“Today, as a 63-year-old woman during the pandemic, I have to continue dedicating myself to my work in a trustworthy house. Although I do not have per se any benefits, the family has helped me whenever I face any struggle.”

Mexico’s answer to their struggles

Mexico’s government launched a program for domestic workers to give them economic, social and health security. These benefits are all done through the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS.)

These benefits include medical, hospital and pharmaceutical services, such as obstetric and disability care, pension and retirement fund.

The women who work in many houses have the trust of the families, but in general, do not receive benefits. (Volha Flaxeco/Unsplash)

The program has been in testing mode for almost two years. At some point, it could help thousands of Mexican women dedicated to this labor.

The families where these women work recognize their value.

“To be fair, having someone working with my house is a blessing because we are three adults and a 5-year-old girl,” said Claudia Cuevas, a 43-year-old merchant who has supported Velasco for the last six years. “We trust her fully and can count on her. We let her work her way throughout the house, and she is free to leave in case of emergency, knowing she is an honest person who will take care of our home. Further, we clicked and get along very well. Perhaps that is why the employment relationship we have maintained for several years has flourished.”

Cases like Velasco’s are repeated throughout Latin America, which is the reason why next March 30, the ‘International Day of Domestic Workers’, will serve as the framework to pay tribute to these essential women who have deprived themselves of time they could have given to their own families to work in other people’s homes.

(Translated and edited by Mario Vázquez. Edited by Fern Siegel)



COVID-19 Vaccines: What Do You Need to Know?

By UnitedHealthcare of California

As more individuals across the U.S. become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there is still widespread confusion about how to secure and prepare for an appointment. With eligibility requirements and sign-up processes differing by state and county, it can be difficult to keep track of current information.

Below are answers to common questions related to COVID-19 vaccines and access, as well as tips and tools for ensuring a smooth vaccination process.

What proactive steps can individuals take to access vaccines?

COVID-19 vaccine availability changes quickly. If you’re eligible to get the vaccine, you’re encouraged to take early steps to secure an appointment or get your name on a local vaccination list.

Here are a few ways to stay on top of the latest news and vaccine availability:

  • Stay informed on the latest vaccine information from the CDC
  • Visit state or local health department websites to see when it’s your turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine and find information on vaccination providers
  • Sign up for e-alerts from your state to get regular updates
  • Keep up with their local news for information on where vaccines may be available in their area
  • Ask your doctor or local pharmacy about vaccine availability
    • Be mindful of scams and remember that you should not pay to be put on a vaccination list

Once eligible, how can individuals go about finding available vaccine appointments?

UnitedHealthcare has developed an online COVID-19 vaccine resource locator tool, available in English and Spanish for free to the general public. This tool aggregates available public information directly from state and country public health websites, and from the retail pharmacies currently distributing COVID-19 vaccines.

  • The site includes all states and territories through a zip-code level search and is updated twice daily.
  • It aggregates local and state health department links, as well as external links to retail pharmacies with local scheduling capabilities. Future content will likely include health systems and federally qualified health centers.

What do you need to bring to your vaccine appointment?

  • You should be prepared to show your photo ID, such as a driver’s license, to show proof of age. You might also need proof of residency. Your health department website or vaccination provider may also have a list of required documents. 
  • Medicare plan members:
    • You will need your red, white and blue Medicare card because Medicare is paying for the member’s vaccine in 2021. If you don’t have your Medicare card, you can find it by logging into your Social Security account. More information on your Medicare card can be found on the CMS site.
    • If you receive the vaccine at a regular provider visit, you will also need your health insurance member ID card.  
  • For people with non-Medicare health plans, you will need to show your health insurance member ID card.

Remember to wear your face mask and physically distance at your appointment. Additional information on preparing for a vaccination appointment can be found on the CDC website.

When should you plan on getting a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

People will need to get both doses within 3-4 weeks to get the protection indicated by the manufacturer. You should make sure both of the doses received are from the same manufacturer and that the second dose is as close to the recommended timing as possible. Follow the vaccination instructions from the manufacturer:

The easiest course of action is to schedule both doses at the same time to meet these time frames and get protection from COVID-19. The vaccination provider should assist you with scheduling the second dose when you receive your first dose. You can also sign up for free text messaging through the CDC’s VaxText to a get a reminder about your second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

April 26: 7th Ward Homeless Roundtable

EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino City Council Member Damon L. Alexander hosts the 7th Ward Homeless Roundtable on Monday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. via Zoom. The topics of discussion will include coordination of services, a strategic plan for the 7th Ward homeless population, immediate and achievable solutions, and COVID-19 vaccinations for our homeless population.

The panel is co-sponsored by Time for Change Foundation, The Salvation Army, Lutheran Social Services, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship &Cathedral of Praise.

New Rent Relief Program Tries to Help Small Landlords

By Isabella Bloom for Ethnic Media Services and The Richmond Pulse

Jie Wang owns three rental properties in Oakland. Her whole family relies on income from tenants paying their rent.

Many have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Eviction moratoriums protect tenants who can’t pay part or all of their rent. But small housing providers like Wang still have mortgages, utilities and other expenses. A lack of government support puts pressure on them to sell their properties.

“Nobody can escape from this coronavirus,” Wang said. “I have a very good relationship with all my tenants. I try to help them.”

Wang spoke on a recent panel hosted by Ethnic Media Services along with other housing rights advocates and researchers. The panel discussed the risk of treating all landlords the same.

The word “landlord” stirs up connotations of large real estate corporations, wealthy enough to maintain their properties through the pandemic. However, small landlords, often referred to as mom-and-pop landlords, have been hit hard by losses in income due to tenants who have been at least partially unable to pay their rent during the pandemic.

According to the Urban Institute, individual investors like Wang rather than large conglomerates own more than 75 percent of one-to-four-unit rental properties. In addition, mom-and-pop landlords of color are more likely to own duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.

Their rent rates tend to be cheaper, so they’re also more likely to draw minority tenants.

Maeve Brown is the executive director and founder of Housing and Economic Rights Advocates, a statewide nonprofit law office that provides free legal services to low- and moderate-income Californians. She works with many people of color who have never had any training on how to manage their properties and consistently charge below-market rent rates.

“Another key part of the story here is our failure to appreciate what small landlords are actually providing — our failure systemically to recognize that they really are affordable housing providers,” Brown said. “If localities and our state government actually recognized the truth of that, that should have an impact on the policy choices that they make.”

Mom-and-pop landlords often are also more connected to their communities and tenants.

John Wong, the founding chairman of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, has lived in San Francisco for nearly 67 years and been a realtor for over 40. In the briefing, he described the relationships he’s experienced and witnessed between mom-and-pop landlords and their tenants.

“I talk about this spectrum of housing providers because I think it speaks to our response to COVID,” Wong said.

He added that mom-and-pop landlords tend to know their tenants personally.

“The relationships have typically been very, very amicable,” he said.

Rent relief programs like the $2 trillion CARES Act have primarily benefited larger, wealthier real estate corporations, leaving behind mom-and-pop landlords.

“The policy choices that the state has made have just made no distinction between large landlords and small landlords,” Brown said. “State policy choices have squarely placed the burden of nonpayment of rent on the shoulders of small landlords — of small, affordable housing providers.”

The danger with placing that burden on mom-and-pop housing providers is that it pressures them into selling their properties to investors and real estate conglomerates. The result is that California will lose more and more of its affordable housing.

“If they lose their property, they’re probably going to lose it to an investor who will charge as much money as the market can possibly bear,” Brown said.

Landlords of color are also more likely to have a mortgage and lower income, so the pressure to sell during the pandemic is higher, according to Urban Institute.

There may be new hope for mom-and-pop landlords and their tenants in the form of a new rental assistance program, but it comes with a caveat.

The new California rental relief program intended to help the state’s most vulnerable renters and landlords opened March 15. The program, which comes from Senate Bill 91, extends the eviction moratorium to June 30 and draws from $2.6 billion in federal funds for rent relief.

“The SB 91 moratorium and the state rental assistance program, in my opinion, is the most important thing to have for smaller mom-and-pop housing providers,” Wong said.

Tenants and landlords both have to fill out certain parts of the online application, available on the California state website Housing is Key.

The first group of eligible renters are those with greatest need — households making 50% or less of the area’s median income, or anyone who has been unemployed for at least 90 days.

The next group includes households making 80% or below the area’s median income. Undocumented tenants are also eligible.

Data from Urban Institute shows that, throughout the U.S., less than a third of tenants and less than half of landlords are aware of federal rental assistance programs. This is why John Wong aims to spread information about rental assistance programs to mom-and-pop landlords, especially those who may be linguistically isolated.

“I personally have a heavy focus on making sure that individuals who have English as not their primary language have access to information that these funds are available,” Wong said.

The way the rent relief works is 80% of a tenant’s rent owed between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, will be paid directly to the landlord, so long as the landlord agrees to forgive the remaining 20% of the back rent.

But this new rental assistance program doesn’t distinguish between small and corporate landlords. For mom-and-pop landlords like Jie Wang, absorbing the remaining 20% of unpaid rent can be a crippling blow after a year of unpaid rent.

“I’m open to the low-income renter,” Jie Wang said. “As long as I can survive, I will receive all the tools to help me and to survive this very difficult situation.”