Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $75 million fund for coronavirus disaster relief for the state’s undocumented immigrants opened for applications on Monday, and the system was immediately flooded.
The fund was promised to give undocumented immigrants $500 to $1,000 in aid, as many are currently out of work and pay taxes, but were not eligible for federal stimulus money. According to a recent report by UC Merced’s Community and Labor Center, 22% of the job losses in the state have been from undocumented immigrants.
But on the application’s first day, advocates reported that the system was overwhelmed and that many were concerned they wouldn’t receive any of the money.
“We have been getting calls from garment workers all morning and hearing that the lines are fully saturated,” said Daisy Gonzales of the Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles. "Sounds like the line is disconnected so they’re not sure they have the right number. Sounds like there are thousands of people trying to get access to this relief."
In a state briefing last month, Gov. Newsom acknowledged the money would not be enough.
“We are not here to suggest that $125 million is enough,” he said. “However, we are proud to be the first state in the nation to announce a project for direct disaster relief assistance to undocumented residents, and this assistance will certainly help these individuals and families during this pandemic.”
Sasha Feldstein of the California Immigrant Policy Center worried the money would not go very far. The Governor also said that private organizations would be raising $50 million in separate funds to help undocumented immigrants, but so far only about half that amount has been raised.
“Five hundred to a thousand dollars won’t even cover one month of rent, and there are people who have been struggling for a couple months now with the shutdown happening in March, and it’s not enough to cover everyone who’s ineligible for federal stimulus money,” Feldstein said.
Undocumented immigrants interested in applying for the money can reach out to the following organizations to put in an application:
Northern California:
California Human Development Corporation
(707) 228-1338 www.californiahumandevelopment.org/
Covering Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Pleasure, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma Tehama, Trinity
Bay Area:
Catholic Charities of California
Alameda and Contra Costa: www.cceb.org
Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo
Santa Clara chapter
Central Coast:
Mixteco / Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)
Santa Barbara: (805) 519-7776
Ventura: (805) 519-7774
Community Action Board Santa Cruz
(800) 228-6820
Covering Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz
Central Valley:
United Farm Workers Foundation (UFWF)
(877) 527-6660
Covering Ash, Kern, Kings, Wood, Merced, Tulare and Mono
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF)
(877) 557-0521
Covering Mariposa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne Yolo and Yuba
Los Angeles and Orange County:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
(213) 241-8880
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
(213) 201-8700
Los Angeles Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
(213) 315-2659
Inland Empire:
San Bernardino Community Service Center
(888) 444-0170, (909) 521-7535
Covering Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino
TODEC Legal Center Perris
(888) 863-3291
Covering Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino
San Diego and Imperial County
Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Imperial County: 760-206-3242
San Diego County: 858-206-8281
To be eligible, individuals must provide proof that they’ve experienced financial hardship, and be over the age of 18. The funds are being distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis through June 30, or until money runs out.
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