Last month, the Supreme Court struck down a national ban on evictions and the Washington Post last week observed, “The feared eviction ‘tsunami’ has not yet happened.”
With hundreds behind on rent and utilities, Mesa is moving quickly to pump out new funding assistance.
In 2020, the Mesa CARES program funneled federal money to provide 1,781 families with nearly $7 million in rent assistance. The average payment per household was $3,875.Â
But the program ran out of funding in early December, leaving 2,000 on a waiting list just when COVID-19 started a holiday surge.
Similar to the vaccine shots that boost a bodyâs defense, the city just received $15.7 million in booster funding - and this week started getting residents caught up on essential bills.
âChecks have begun to be distributed,â Deputy City Manager Natalie Lewis said. By Thursday, three days into the program, 38 payments were made, with an average payment to landlords or utility providers of $6,000, Lewis said.
Drop off letters to Santa by noon Thursday
The elves at La Mesa Community Services are still taking letters to Santa. Drop your letter off at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, by noon Thursday. Make the occasion even more festive by taking an “elfie” and tagging the agency at #FalalaLaMesa.
Free Christmas meals available to go
The Salvation Army will distribute a complete hot Christmas meal at three sites around the county. Meals will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 11 a.m. Friday, Christmas Day. Children will also receive a Christmas stocking with toys and snacks. Meals will be available at the Centre City Corps, 825 Seventh Ave., San Diego; Citadel Corps, 4170 Balboa Ave., San Diego; and at the El Cajon Red Shield Center, 1025 E. Main St., El Cajon.