RENT AND EVICTION ASSISTANCE!

If you are worried about eviction or just paying rent you need to know that there are a number of housing and rental assistance programs in place from various organizations and not-for profit agencies. Most of the financial aid paid out for housing costs is focused on the low income and those individuals facing an immediate eviction.

Some of the rent assistance programs offered include homeless prevention and rapid rehousing, Section 8 housing vouchers, legal advice to stop an eviction, and direct cash assistance to pay back rent or a security deposit. Most of the Clark County Washington non-profits can also refer families and individuals to other organizations, such as charities in Vancouver. There are also a number of both state of Washington and federal government rent assistance programs and services.

Clark County Department of Community Services offers emergency rental assistance and funds for paying security deposits from the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program. For more information, dial the Housing Solutions Center at 360-695-9677. Continue with Department of Community Services rent assistance programs.

Clark County Veterans Assistance Program – The agency can help veterans, their immediate families, widowed spouses or dependents of veterans. Rent assistance, programs for bills, mediation, counseling and other services are provided. The address is 1601 E Fourth Plain Boulevard Room 141, Vancouver, WA 98661, dial (360) 397-8478.

North County Community Food Bank – May have information and referrals to local housing programs too. (360)687-5007

Salvation Army Vancouver – May have limited funds for emergency lodging, rent, bills such as utilities, and other financial assistance to residents of Clark County and Vancouver Washington .They also operate shelters and other resources for the homeless and working poor. 7509 NE 47th Avenue, Vancouver, Washington 98661, phone (360) 448-2890

St Vincent De Paul of Vancouver has multiple locations around Clark County Washington. Programs and aid offered includes rent help on a case-by-case basis for families with children, senior citizens , as well as disabled. Applicants to the program need to be willing to participate in working with a counselor and also accepting a home visit.

All rent and housing assistance is offered on a case-by-case basis. In addition, the non-profit can also offer referral to other outreach agencies for household items, furniture, tenant/landlord mediation, free legal assistance, and other aid.

• PO Box 606, Battle Ground, WA 98604, (360) 576-0122

• 324 NE Oak Street, Camas, WA 98607, (360) 834-2126

• 2456 Stapleton Road, Vancouver, WA 98662, (360) 694-5388

Community Planning of Vancouver (phone number (360) 4877952) also administers homeless assistance and eviction prevention. They may refer clients to no interest loans in an emergency, and the money can be used for rental and utility costs.

SHARE partners with DSHS and other groups to offer emergency rental assistance. Programs include HEN (Housing and Essential Needs), free furniture, advice on preventing an eviction, and referrals to state of Washington grant programs. Call the Vancouver agency at (877) 501-2233.

Council for the Homeless - The non-profit mostly offer referrals to local non-profits that may administer grant programs for rent and housing costs. They also focus on rehousing families, seniors, and single parents into new, affordable apartments in Clark County. This involves guidance and case management, and there may be funds or loans for a deposit or first months rent too. Call (360) 695-9677.

Eviction assistance/rehousing - These two non-profit and government funded programs help low income tenants and the homeless. There may be grants available for rent or heating costs, placement into a motel or transitional housing unit, and other support. Find how to apply for deposits or rent help to stop homelessness. Learn more on homeless prevention and rehousing in Clark County Washington.

Northwest Justice Project can provide free legal aid to tenants and seniors in Clark County. They help with housing needs, civil matters, and disputes over home repairs or security deposits. Attorneys focus on helping the less fortunate. Phone - (360) 693-6130.

Additional Clark County Washington rental assistance and housing agencies

• Housing Connections (Portland/Vancouver metro area) 503-823-4141

• Housing Preservation Program: 360-397-2130

• Housing Assistance: Clark County Community Services Department - Dial 1-877-211-9274 for agencies in the area.

• Wheelchair Works 503-654-4333

• Housing Assistance: Share Vancouver 360-256-5858

• Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH) 503-332-3211

• Salvation Army (rent payment and mortgage assistance) 360-694-9503

• Shared Housing 503-225-9924

• St Vincent de Paul (both rent help and utilities) 360-694-5388

• Vancouver Housing Authority: 360-694-2501

Emergency housing and shelter programs in Clark County

• Council for the Homeless Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse Hotline 360-695-9677 or 1-866-577-2503

• JYP Oak Bridge Youth Shelter (housing for children ages 9 - 17) 360-891-2634 or 1-888-979-4357

• Legacy of Life (pregnant women) 360-537-0234

• My Father’s House (families only can get housing assistance) 503-492-3046

• New Beginnings (pregnant young women) 360-989-0279

• Open House Ministries (families) 360-737-0300

• Safechoice (domestic violence) 360-696-0167 or 1-800-695-0167

• Share House 360-695-9677

How to keep yourself entertained during a pandemic.

We have the very mixed blessing of living in America which means we are still dealing with this pandemic that most of the civilized world has figured out. As a result of this we are banned from travelling to 99% of the globe and can barely even leave our homes. Bars, theatres, and restaurants are all death traps and no one is making any new TV or movies. So what do we do!? Well you start by reading this blog because I am a genius with a bunch of really great ideas.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Obviously if you are reading this then there is a good chance that you are a tenant so you can't really do any major improvements but you can still freshen things up by doing little things like rearranging the furniture, buying some new art, redecorating, and doing some spring cleaning. Adding some plants inside and out is another really great way to improve the feel of your home.

ROAD TRIP

Everything is terrible so why not just leave? Go camping and get reconnected to nature, visit some stupid tourist traps (see previous blog for ideas) before they go out of business, Visit a town you have never been to, or maybe drive to Canada and become a Canadian citizen till this all blows over. It's up to you!

PICNIC

I love a picnic. Get yourself a nice big basket and pack it full of yummy foods. I suggest cold fried chicken, potato salad, fresh fruits and some cheese. Bring along a nice bottle of wine and you have lunch fit for a king. You can have it at the park, the waterfront or even in your own yard! Speaking of drinking wine in the yard this leads me to my next idea…

DAY DRINKING

This is actually a really solid idea because it's cheap and fun and you don't have to leave your home! On top of that, I'm pretty sure alcohol kills COVID (It doesn't). Another great reason to do this is to take advantage of what I call the "Vacation Years" of global warming.

LITERALLY JUST SIT ON YOUR COUCH AND WATCH TV

Before COVID we never had the time to watch all the great TV and movies out there but now, all we have is time. Not only do we have time to watch the stuff we missed but COVID has stopped almost all film production so we can actually catch up!! I have compiled a small list of REALLY good TV and movies.

• Palm Springs (HULU Original) - Very funny new take on the infinite time loop premise (think groundhog day, edge of tomorrow)

• Barry (HBO) - A killer for hire follows his dreams of becoming an actor. Hilarious and  slightly dark but it stars Bill Hader and Henry Winkler so you know it's amazing

• The Mandalorian (Disney+) - Set in the Star Wars universe this show is not like any of the movies. It is funny, heartwarming, action packed, and supremely well-acted and directed. Think of it as a western that happens to take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

• The Boys - A very new and very adult take on the classic superhero premise. Incredibly twisted and funny. Brilliantly written. This is definitely not for young kids.

• Bill and Ted Face the Music - MUCH better than I anticipated. Very funny and sweet. A nice tribute to the original movies as well as love letter to all of us idiots that appreciated the first and were puzzled by the second.

• Whatever you do don't watch LOST, Dexter or How I Met Your Mother, they will only enrage you at the very end. What a rip-off. Worst endings ever!!!

There you have it. That should keep you entertained for at least a week and maybe by then I will have more great ideas.

Love Ya,

Austin

Late Rent, Payment Plans, and the Moratorium on Evictions

As many of you might have noticed everything is terrible and nobody except Jeff Bezos has any money. Covid has run amok in our communities and cost a lot of people their lives, health and at the very least, their jobs. As a response to this the federal guv't has placed a moratorium on evictions. This means you cannot get evicted for non-payment. The problem with this is once the moratorium is lifted this October a lot of people will still be behind on their payments and may face eviction after all. I don't know how other landlords are handling this but I do know how we are handling it. If you are behind on your rent, please listen up because this is directed at you.

PAYMENT PLANS!

If you are behind on your rent than I have tried to contact you multiple times to set up a payment plan. The reason I am doing this is because anyone who is behind but has a payment plan won't have to worry about being evicted. After all, evictions cost money and if a tenant is doing their best and making payments then I see no reason to be punitive. If you are behind and you do not have a payment plan well, let's just say you should probably get a hold of me.

 The way the payment plans works is as follows:

• A tenant who is behind requests a payment plan.

• The payment plan is created and the tenant agrees to pay their standard monthly charge plus a portion of the past due amount every month until it is paid off.

• The tenant pays what they agreed to pay.

• That’s it. That’s the whole process.

Some things to remember:

• You can still be evicted for being a health or safety hazard.

• We do not want to evict anybody. If you work with us then we will work with you.

• Everything is going to be okay.

If you have any questions or concerns please give us a call and hopefully we can put your mind at ease.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING COVID-19, UNEMPLOYMENT AND STIMULUS, AND SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF

Greetings all. I hope you are staying safe and staying indoors. It is especially crucial that we maintain social distancing until this thing is GONE. That being said, I understand how difficult that is especially when it means not going to work and the financial insecurities that come with that. If I could pay all your bills I would but I can't so maybe I can answer some questions instead. There have been some notable changes in unemployment insurance as well as the stimulus funds that have been getting sent out. I will provide some info as well as some very useful links to more info. If you have questions about these things then please take some time to read and follow up with the official websites linked. 

STIMULUS CHECKS

For most people the stimulus check will be paid automatically.  If you haven't already received it, you can go to IRS.gov to file for the stimulus check. The way you do it depends on if you filed for taxes or not. Even if you didn't file taxes you are most likely eligible. To qualify for a direct payment, you need to 

• have a Social Security number

• meet certain adjusted-gross-income thresholds

• not be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return. 

• Americans who haven't had to file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 but get Social Security payments for retirement will also be paid $1,200 each. 

Dependents older than 16, people without a Social Security number, and those with incomes above $99,000 (or $136,500 if you file as a head of household) won't get a stimulus check.
Check out https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payment-information-center for more info.

UNEMPLOYMENT

The federal government has allowed states to change their unemployment benefits laws. It lets them provide unemployment benefits for situations related to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

And, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has expanded benefits further. It authorizes:

• Self-employed workers and gig workers to receive unemployment benefits

• All unemployed workers to receive an extra $600 a week for up to six months

• Unemployed workers to get an extra 13 weeks of benefits beyond the number a state currently provides

There is a lot more info so please Contact your state’s unemployment insurance program for more information and to apply for benefits.

SMALL BUSINESS STIMULUS PACKAGE

Got a small business? So do we. I found some info that might be helpful.

Of the $480 billion authorized some of that will go to the Paycheck Protection Program, $60 billion will be set aside for smaller lending facilities, including "community financial institutions, small insured depository institutions and credit unions with assets less than $10 billion."

There will also be $10 billion for grants under the Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, $50 billion for disaster recovery loans and $2.1 billion for additional salaries and expenses for the Small Business Administration.

25 bIllion towards necessary expenses to research, develop, validate, manufacture, purchase, administer and expand capacity for COVID-19 tests.  

Check out https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources for more details

MORE INFO

• Landlords are not allowed to serve 14 day notices for non-payment 

• Landlords are not allowed to evict for non payment

• Landlords are not allowed to terminate month to month leases

 We at Island Properties are doing what we can on top of that to lighten the load including suspending all late fees and creating payment plans. If you aren't able to pay on time just let us know and we will set up a payment plan to help keep you on track. Remember, if you have any questions, please feel free to call us and we will do what we can to find you answers. These are tough times and we're in it together.

The Island Properties Team

COVID-19 UPDATE

Well this sucks.

I think it sucks for everyone except our dogs. Anyways, I’ll get to the point. Here are some things you should know regarding Island Properties and Covid-19.

~We will not be charging any late fees nor will anyone be getting evicted over this for the time being.

~We are not doing non-emergency maintenance for the foreseeable future. PLEASE still put in your work orders. We will of course continue to perform emergency maintenance. If you aren’t sure which is which, call us! :-)

~We are no longer allowing visitors inside the office and ask that you communicate via phone, email, or text and pay through the mails slots or online.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us

Here are some other things to know:

• You don’t need to hoard toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It’s inconsiderate and not very smart

• Please do not leave your house unless you absolutely have to.

• If you do leave the house, touch nothing, stay 6ft from other at all times, and cough into your elbow. In fact, if you are coughing you should cough into your house where you belong.

• Be kind to the people that are still working, especially grocery store employees and medical staff. If you get food from a restaurant you better tip like a rock star.

• Get you COVID-19 info from the CDC or the World Health Organisation (WHO). NOT THE NEWS.

That’s all for now.

RENT - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW - EVERYONE'S FAVORITE MONTHLY EXPENSE IS GETTING A BLOG ENTRY!

*THIS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED BLOG HAS BEEN UPDATE TO REFLECT RECENT CHANGE IN THE LAW.*

I figured I would write this so I can clarify a few things but first I will go over the basics so we all start on the same page.

Rent is due on the 1st of each month and is late on the 6th, this means that you can pay your rent any time before the 5th without incurring any late fees. When I come into the office on the 6th we enter all checks that were dropped off over night and all the people who haven't paid yet will get late fees. Rent is generally considered to be the most important expense that people have as it secures a place to live so if rent is late I assume none of your bills are paid. If rent is late but I know that you just bought a new motorcycle I will know that you aren't prioritizing very well and you shouldn't be asking for favors. The late fees accrue as follows: $47 for the first day and $2/day every day after that until rent is paid or you are evicted. Yikes.

Rent can be paid online through e-checking or with the use of a card, it can be paid in person with a check or a money order, or it can be deposited through the mail slot. We do not accept cash, barter, livestock, or first born children.

If you pay with a check remember to write your unit # on the check and don't forget to sign it! If you pay with a money order the same rules apply. Another thing to note is that you do NOT sign the back of the check. That is where WE sign.

If you pay by check and it bounces you will be charged an NSF fee ($60). If it keeps happening we will no longer accept personal checks and will only take certified funds like a money order or a cashier's check.

If you pay us for water/sewer/garbage/month2month fee/garage rental/parking spot rental/ etc. you can include that with your rent, you do not need to write a separate check.

If your rent is not in the office on the 6th we will…no, scratch that, we are OBLIGATED to send you a 14 day pay or vacate notice. This is a nasty little letter that says if you don't pay us in FOURTEEN days you will be evicted. We are legally obligated to send this and the chances that we will actually evict you is pretty dang slim however, if we do not send this letter we are left with no legal recourse.

If you are going to be late with rent, JUST CALL US AND SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN! We are people and we understand that life is hard. Harder now than it has been in a long time.

Last but not least, some of you only put in maintenance requests when you pay rent like maybe you think that will make us happier to do the work. STOP DOING THIS!!! WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE. You do not need to bank them all till the first of the month just let us know as soon as something goes wrong. I know a lot of you haven't had that experience with past landlords but we are different. You DO pay rent and you are entitled to live in a nice unit with working everything.

Thanks Bunches

Austin Caylor

My Trip to the Oregon Zoo

I recently went to the zoo with a friend of mine and I thought it was pretty swell so I want to immortalize my trip in blog form. Before you even get started I know exactly how old I am and I don’t care what you think, the zoo is dope. Sure they don't let you ride the elephants or feed the fish or fight the animals but I think it's time we all acknowledge that those days are behind us. Zoos are institutions of learning, inspiration and conservation not some Coney Island sideshow where you toss naked mole rats to the birds of prey for a shiny nickel. Let's all act our age and go to the zoo. If your age is over 21, sneak in some booze like I did!

MEGA CHONK BOI!

This started as a birthday gift for a friend which he redeemed last weekend, one free trip to the zoo. I grabbed a backpack, a bottle of vodka, two water bottles, and a couple Pepsis. After I had cleaned all the Wendy's wrappers out of the front passenger seat of my ford focus we set off for Beaverton. The drive was nice and we made record time. The time we saved was spent getting ready in the parking lot (shots). We head to the gates and I dish out $35 (pretty pricey considering half the enclosures where closed) for 2 adults and we make our way in.

MEGA LONG BOI

First stop, the Great Northwest! It has some mountain sheep they kidnapped out of Olympic Park (apparently they were introduced there by some doofus in the 20's) and it also had some groundhogs, or whistle pigs as we called them in Idaho. The bear was hibernating but I could see his fuzzy butt and that was just fine. There was also a cougar there but she was with her teenage kids and I didn't want to bother her.

MEGA LOUNGE BOIS

Moving from there we went to see the elephants (fuzzy and adorable), the chimpanzees (fuzzy and adorable) and the penguins (smelly and adorable). Many of the enclosures were being worked on so there wasn’t much to see except heavy machinery but I still got to kick it with an ape bro. I enjoyed to way the tiger wouldn't stop staring at me from his enclosure that looked easy to escape from.

MEGA MURDER MITTENS MAN

By this time we are getting buzzed up and I wanted a cigarette pretty bad so we picked up the pace and headed to the insect zoo! Once in the insect zoo I noticed that one of the stick insects had escaped so I alerted the zoo staff and they came running over with tranquilizer rifles and big nets. Once the tranquilizers wore off and they let me go from the nets we made our way to exit. We were all ready to leave when I noticed the fried elephant ears. 12 dollars later I had 2 ears only to find out that they were NOT made out of elephant, still delicious though.

I complain a lot about the prices but in actuality I was very happy to pay it. The expansions in the zoo look impressive and the work they do is very important. Not only is it worth supporting but I had a great day with a good buddy. 10/10 would recommend.