Centro Legal De La Raza review: Expedited payment of all my qualified tenants claims

This company is in charge of the County of Alameda's rent relief program. The rent relief program has guidelines that are set forth by the state and federal government however, this company practices with bias against landlords and people that are not of color.

As a landlord, I am suffering greatly as rental properties is my only income. The system for rent relief is that a tenant can't be evicted and the tenant has to apply for the relief and if the landlord doesn't apply then the tenant gets the check and has two weeks to pay their landlord. This is very stupid, as two tenants can scheme up where one is the landlord and the other is subleasing and bypass the landlord. There are many open scenarios that can be played in favor of the squatting tenant and not for the landlord whatsoever. The landlords only option is to get the tenant to apply and agree and then the landlord might get a check to cover their rent. Anything else, then landlord has to take the tenant to court for rent relief after the moretorium for evictions is lifted.

I have squatters that I can't get access too. I had new leases signed as I was evicting these squatters in 2019. Suddenly this same company, Centro Legal filed motions to stop the evictions on every one of my properties. Now I am in a position that this same company is in charge of the county of Alameda;s rent relief check approvals. This is a severe conflict of interest.

Two applications were approved in writing from the state but redirected to the county for the county to process. The county had the two applications start over, and then once they approved them it was for a substantial lessor amount/ Two weeks later the Centro Legal company denied the payments and it has to be because they represent the squatters. I got a check from Centro Legal for another tenant in November and the process went quickly and was just as the website states it would go. Now, I got emails from one of the affiliates stating all my applications will be denied and and it's due to fraud. When I questioned this person and stood my ground and asked for details about the accusation, I was ignored.

Centro legal sent me an appeal form when I contacted them. Appeal what? I had no understanding what to appeal. Two weeks later I got an email and so did other tenants that the claims were denied due to one of three reasons, 1) The person applied to the wrong county. 2) The person makes more than the median income or 4) The claim has already been paid.

None of these are true and the applications were approved twice. As we continue to apply to the state program, we continue to get referred to the county eventually and the county's website (which is copyright Centro Legal) it states that they are way over budget but we can apply anyway.

Now all applications that have to do with my name, are not moving, and they want authorizations to release information signed by tenants and client agreement forms and client grievance forms, complete EDD files, and reasons that rent couldn't be paid and budgets, several long phone interviews and then they say they might pay it. Tenants are being told they should have jobs by now and just the entire treatment is very invasive. The release of information states that they can send and receive information to any one including the social security administration, former employers and a broad range of entities and that they will keep it for 6 months. The guidelines for the program clearly state what items are needed to qualify and that they won't ask you for your social security number or citizen status and that they will keep your information private.

I now have claims that have been sitting 6 months redirected again to start over. I am seeking attorneys to file lawsuits regarding this very clear conflict of interest, intentional infliction of emotional distress, torment and punitive and actual damages.

Any help would be appreciated. After looking at the Centro Legal website and seeing what they stand for I am completely shocked that this can occur without any regard to landlords and why the governor and others didn't think about the landlords that can't get a tenant to apply and paying the rent to the landlord anyway. This is so one sided it's incredible.