Last updated: June 26, 2026

About San Francisco’s Rental Assistance Program

San Francisco’s emergency rental assistance combined the statewide California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program with a local city program to cover renters experiencing pandemic-related financial hardship. The California program covered the period from April 2020 through March 2021, while the local San Francisco program covered April 2021 and later. Households that applied to the local program received up to 18 months of combined assistance when both funding sources were applied together.

All eligible households received assistance, though applications were processed according to a prioritization order rather than strictly by submission date. Most completed applications were processed within 4 to 6 weeks. For a current view of what’s available across the state, the California rental assistance programs directory covers active and recently closed programs by county.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, applicants needed to meet all of the following criteria:

• COVID-19 financial hardship: Qualified for unemployment benefits, or experienced a reduction in household income, significant costs, or other financial hardship during the pandemic.
• Risk of homelessness or housing instability: Demonstrated through past-due rent or utilities, unsafe or unhealthy living conditions, or other evidence of risk.
• Household income within limits: Total household income must not exceed the maximum amount for your household size (see table below). These limits are set at or below 80% of HUD’s Area Median Income (AMI) for San Francisco.

Subtenants were eligible to apply, and the master tenant did not need to be involved in the first part of the application process. Landlords could also apply directly on behalf of their tenants.

Income Limits by Household Size

Pro Tip

San Francisco’s income limits are notably higher than many other California counties due to the city’s high Area Median Income. If you assumed you wouldn’t qualify based on income alone, double-check against these figures — many San Francisco renters with moderate incomes are still eligible.

Eviction Protections for San Francisco Tenants

San Francisco tenants who could not pay rent during specific pandemic-related windows had important legal protections, separate from the rental assistance program itself. Tenants should not move out based on a belief that protections have ended — rights may still apply even after a moratorium expires.

If You Could Not Pay Rent From March 1 to August 31, 2020

Landlords could not evict tenants for non-payment during this window, though they could pursue unpaid rent through small claims court starting November 1, 2021. San Francisco partnered with Bay Area Legal Aid and other legal service organizations to assist tenants with COVID-19 rental debt matters in small claims court. Tenants in this situation needed to give their landlord a signed declaration form in response to any 15-day notice received.

If You Could Not Pay Rent Between September 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021

Landlords could not evict tenants for non-payment during this window either, but two specific actions were required to maintain that protection:

• Give the landlord a signed declaration in response to a 15-day notice.
• By September 30, 2021, pay at least 25% of rent owed for the 13-month period from September 2020 to September 2021 — equivalent to approximately 3.25 months of rent. This could be paid as a lump sum.

Tenants who paid that 25% threshold by the deadline could not be evicted for any remaining unpaid rent from that period. Anyone who had not yet met this threshold needed to contact sfrenthelp@evictiondefense.org by September 30, 2021 for guidance. More detail on these protections was available through the San Francisco emergency tenant protections page.

The statewide eviction moratorium under AB 832 expired September 30, 2021. After that date, landlords could file evictions with the court, which would then determine tenant eligibility for protections under AB 832 on a case-by-case basis. Tenants and landlords were strongly encouraged to apply for rental assistance as early as possible to strengthen their position in any subsequent proceeding.

Where to Find Rental Assistance in California Now

Bay Area renters facing similar circumstances can also check the Alameda County rental assistance program, which operates under a comparable framework just across the bay. Renters in the greater Sacramento and San Diego regions can review the Sacramento County Emergency Rental Assistance Program and San Diego rental assistance program respectively. Tenants currently facing eviction proceedings anywhere in California should also review alternatives to eviction, including legal aid, mediation, and negotiated payment plans, alongside any pending rental assistance application.