The city of Goleta took additional steps at the Dec. 10 special City Council meeting to provide COVID-19 relief in light of the current Regional Stay at Home Order (RSAHO) issued by the state of California, which mandated the closure of many businesses and limited the operation of others.

“The city is very concerned about the likely detrimental impacts on our local businesses and residents as a result of the current Regional Stay at Home Order that went into effect earlier this week,” said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte.

“It is our belief that this funding, combined with working with our talented partner organizations, will help provide immediate assistance during this public health and economic crisis,” she said.

“The city continues to move quickly to deal with ever-changing conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Vyto Adomaitis, Goleta’s director of Neighborhood Services and Public Safety.

“This is another example of that responsiveness which can only be accomplished with determined leadership, dedicated staff, and collaborating with our partners to deliver services and funding to our community,” Adomaitis said.

The Goleta City Council took the following actions:

City Council authorized the city manager to retain the services of a contract emergency housing and homeless services coordinator to help manage an emergency rental assistance program and work with various homeless service providers to identify housing options for the homeless.

Appropriated $200,000 from the General Fund unassigned fund balance to be set aside for immediate COVID-19 relief efforts. Of those funds, $100,000 was allocated to the Santa Barbara Foundation for small business assistance grants; $50,000 to the United Way of Santa Barbara County for its Low-Income Individual Assistance Program; and $50,000 for emergency rental assistance in partnership with the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara.

The Housing Authority program will assist tenants who earn up to 80 percent of the area median income with grants up to $5,000 or up to three month’s rent, whichever is less.

The city is also urging the community to support Goleta businesses and restaurants by shopping and dining locally with its #GoodLandGoodShopping and #GoletaToGo campaigns.