Covid-19

The City of Selma continues to follow the State and County guidelines for businesses and residents. Please refer to the sites below for current guidance. 


Resident and Community Resources

COVID-19 Support for Central Valley 


SUPPORT FOR WORKING FAMILIES

CHILDREN


IMMIGRANTS


SENIORS


FOOD AND PHARMACY


GENERAL WELL-BEING


Employers and Employees

COUNTY GUIDANCE FOR EXPOSED WORKERS

  • If an exposed worker develops symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, or shortness of breath)  and is still working, the employer should:
  • Send the worker home immediately and encourage them to follow CDC guidance for What to Do If You Are Sick.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces in their workspace.
  • Follow CDC guidance to determine when the worker can return to work.

For more information, see CDC’s updated guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19.

Families First - Department of Labor
Information about leave and compensation options for workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Job Search Engine: OnwardCA.org
For COVID-19 displaced employees across the state of California. Find positions in essential industries.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance - Self Employed/Independents

Employment Development Department - Spanish

Employment Development Department - English

Businesses: Note the Work Sharing program available. 

Employees: If your work hours have been reduced apply for Unemployment Insurance. Governor has waived the 1 week waiting period. Benefits can start immediately. Contact EDD: (800) 480-3287

Direct service line in Fresno 559-230-4158

Labor and Workforce Development - Guide for Employers and Workers

Housing And Homelessness

Fresno County Renter Survey
Complete to help inform the county of our community needs regarding rent payment assistance and housing

Notice to Landlord Form - 4/7/20
Submit this form in writing or notify your landlord immediately if you are unable to pay all or some of the rent due because of affects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

California COVID-19 Housing and Homelessness Information

Fresno County Housing Information

Tenant and Landlord Relief:  AB 3088 (updated 9/1/20) 

To read the press release from Senators Atkins, Bradford and Caballero, click here. 

No COVID-19-related Evictions until February 1, 2021

  • Tenant cannot be evicted for a COVID-19 related hardship that accrued between March 4 – August 31, 2020 if tenant returns declaration of hardship under penalty of perjury.
  • Tenant cannot be evicted for a COVID-19 related hardship that accrues between September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021 if tenant returns declaration of hardship under penalty of perjury and pays at least 25% of the rent due.
  • Higher income tenants (over $100K household income or over 130% of median household income, whichever is higher) must provide documentation to support their declaration upon a landlord’s request.
  • Applies to all residential tenants (including mobile home tenants), regardless of immigration status.
Tenants Still Responsible for Paying Unpaid Amounts to Landlords

  • So long as the tenant with COVID-19 related hardship follows the bill’s procedures, any unpaid rent due between March 4, 2020 – January 31, 2021 is not a ground/basis for eviction, but is still owed to the landlord as a form of consumer debt.
  • Small claims court jurisdiction is temporarily expanded to allow landlords to recover these amounts.
  • Landlords may begin to recover this debt on March 1, 2021. This expanded small-claims court provision sunsets on February 1, 2025.

Additional Legal and Financial Protections for Tenants

  • Extends notice period for nonpayment of rent from 3 to 15 days to provide tenant additional time to respond to landlord’s notice to pay rent or quit.
  • Requires landlords to provide hardship declaration forms in a different language if rental agreement was negotiated in a different language.
  • Provides tenants a backstop if they have a good reason for failing to return the hardship declaration within 15 days.
  • Requires landlords to provide tenants a notice detailing their rights under the Act.
  • Limits public disclosure (“masking”) of eviction cases involving nonpayment of rent between March 4, 2020 –January 31, 2021.
  • Protects tenants against being evicted for “just cause” if the landlord is shown to be evicting the tenant for COVID-19-related nonpayment of rent.

Statewide Consistency and a Pause on Local Measures

  • Existing local ordinances can remain in place until they expire and future local action cannot undermine this Act’s framework.
  • Requires ordinances that provide a repayment schedule to begin repayment no later than March 1, 2021.
  • Clarifies that nothing in the Act affects a local jurisdiction’s ability to adopt an ordinance that requires just cause, consistent with state law, provided it does not affect rental payments before January 31, 2021.
Protections for Small Landlords

  • Extends the Homeowners’ Bill of Rights’ anti-foreclosure protections to small landlords, 1-4 units, non-owner occupied.
  • Provides new accountability and transparency provisions to protect small landlord borrowers who request CARES-compliant forbearance, and provides the borrower who is harmed by a material violation with a cause of action.

Significantly Increases Penalties on Landlords Who Do Not Follow Court Evictions Process

  • Increases penalties on landlords who resort to self-help (i.e., locking the tenant out, throwing property out onto the curb, shutting off utilities) to evict a tenant, rather than going through the required court process.
Sunsets on February 1, 2021

TENANT PROTECTION UPDATE FROM CENTRAL CALIFORNIA LEGAL SERVICES July 2020

EVICTIONS

For as long as the state of emergency is in effect, your landlord cannot obtain an order from the court for your eviction unless the reason for the eviction is to protect the public health and safety.   For example, you may be evicted if your landlord can prove that you are selling drugs from your rental unit.  

RENT PAYMENTS

You are responsible for paying your rent during the state of emergency.  However, you may be able to defer payment if you do the following:

Provide your landlord with written notice that you are unable to pay rent because you have lost income or you are experiencing increased expenses as a result of COVID 19 or the state of emergency.  This should be done every month that you are unable to pay. 

Provide your landlord with some form of documentation that shows the reason for your loss of income or increased expenses is related to COVID 19 or the state of emergency.   

Keep records to show that you notified your landlord and that you provided documentation to prove the reason for non-payment. You may need these records if your landlord goes to court to try to evict you after the state of emergency is lifted.

RENT INCREASES

For as long as the state of emergency is in effect, it is a crime to do any of the following:

  • Increase motel or hotel rates by more than 10%     
  • Increase residential housing rent by more than 10%
  • Increase mobile home space rent by more than 10%
  • Evict a residential tenant and rent or offer to rent to another for greater than 10% more than the evicted tenant was charged for rent.  
  • The penalty for these offenses is up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. 

ILLEGAL EVICTIONS

Even without the state of emergency, your landlord must obtain a court order to evict you from your rental unit.  You are entitled to peaceful possession until the court awards your landlord possession. 

It is unlawful for your landlord to do any of the following to get you to leave:

  • Change your locks
  • Turn off your utilities
  • Lie to you or to the police about your right to possession of your rental unit
  • Harass or threaten to harm you or your family
  • Enter your rental unit without your permission 
  • Threaten to report your immigration status or the status of another occupant, family member or friend
The civil penalty for each violation is up to $2,000. 

Call the police or the sheriff for help getting in if your landlord changes your locks.  Or, you can call a locksmith to change the locks so that you can get in. 

If you suspect that your landlord might attempt to evict you unlawfully, carry proof that you live at the address of your rental unit so that you can show the police, sheriff or locksmith that you are entitled to possession. Ideally, you have a written lease to prove your right to possession, but you could show any document addressed to you at the address of your rental unit, including a utility bill, phone bill or credit card bill.  

Call CCLS

If you are low income and have questions or need help with a housing issue, call 1-800 675-8001.  You may be entitled to free legal services.
https://www.centralcallegal.org/

Utility and Bill Information

PG&E 

Voluntarily implementing a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment effective immediately for both residential and commercial customers. PG&E External Communications 415-973-5930

CAL WATER

Temporarily suspended collections activities and shutoffs on residential services for non-payments. Restored service to accounts previously disconnected for non-payment. Re-certification requirements have been frozen for low-Income Ratepayer Assistance Program. Call 559-896-4546 for more information.

SOCAL GAS

COMCAST XFINITY

Guide to Internet Services During Coronavirus

MyLowCostAuto.com 

State sponsored low cost auto insurance policy marketplace. Must income qualify. 

Other Resources and Public Notices

Restaurant Workers Community Foundation - grants and loans for restaurant workers, non profits and more

US Bartender Guild Assistance Programs – The USBG has grant programs available for employers and employees affected by bar closures due to COVID19. Visit their website to apply.

California Restaurant Association Foundation – The CRAF is offering grants and other resources for those in the restaurant industry. More information is available here.

United Way – Community Economic Relief Fund
The United Way of Fresno and Madera Counties is working to set up a local relief fund for people who need housing, income, food, or other related assistance due to COVID-19 impacts. (559) 244-5710. https://www.uwfm.org/

Penny Appeal USA Hardship Grant for Individuals

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