Bills coming due and money management now more of a priority

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - With the first of the month comes many bills for residents nationwide and on the South Coast with a large percentage non-homeowners, rent is due.

The coronavirus crisis has his the income stream harder than any event in modern times with more projections of lost wages and jobs ahead.

Residents are dipping into their savings, if any, asking for family money, borrowing from friends and applying for relief.

The City of Santa Barbara and other government bodies are voting in protections against evictions if landlords and renters can come together on a payment plan, spread over several months to make up for the shortages now.

The city of Santa Barbara has tried to get ahead of this rent issue at a recent meeting.

"The Santa Barbara City council voted last week to enact an eviction moratorium this means if a commercial or residential tenant can't pay their rent do to impacts from Covid-19 they can't be evicted between now and May 31st," said Santa Barbara City Councilmember Meagan Harmon in a video message to the public.

Some of the workers who are off the job are still getting paid by their employers during a furlough process. Some are not.

"Now that we have no job,  I work in  the  restaurant business, so it is hard for all of us right now,"  said Carter Soto a local bartender.
"I have been going on line trying to sell goods but I guess everyone else is in the same boat as I am trying to save money and not spend anything."

When it comes to a government check as a stimulus to struggling workers he says the amounts are too varied and "the justification doesn't really sit well with me, but   it is what it is   a little bit is better than nothing."

Other relief is being offered in the community through programs that are coming together with Santa Barbara area philanthropy plans, a Montecito area fund for workers, a 93013fund in Carpinteria, and food distribution.

 "You can either go one of two ways you can be hopeful or you can be fearful and that does nothing when you just feel overwhelmed and you feel anxious," said nursing student Ashley McPheters. "I feel like there is so much hope in everything and everyone is in the same boat so we are in the process of waiting. Everyone has been really accommodating." 

Santa Barbara has a special department to resolve tenant-landlord issues. For more information go to: Rental Housing Mediation Task Force.