COVID-19 Tenant/Landlord Relief Program Continues

Eviction protections enacted earlier this year are due to expire on June 30 and millions of residents are still facing the possibility of being evicted and losing their homes. Financial assistance to renters owing back rent due to COVID-19 is still available. For more information visit https://housing.ca.gov.

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Older adults suffer from many types of elder abuse. In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, join the DFPI and others during Bet Tzedek’s 2nd Annual Forum at 11 am. This webinar focuses on ways to prevent elder and financial abuse, and other related resources. Registration is limited and required by June 8. To register, contact aanderson@bettzedek.org. For more information visit https://www.bettzedek.org.

Opening Soon: DFPI Office of the Ombuds

The DFPI is standing up an Office of the Ombuds to review and address complaints about the department and streamline recommendations and improvements. The new office was authorized by the California Consumer Financial Protection Law and will be led by Brian Gould. It will handle complaints from consumer groups, licensees and registrants, prospective licensees and registrants, trade groups, and others. These complaints will have gone through normal channels before being elevated to provide a neutral review of the issue, as well as potential internal recommendations.

A National Model: DFPI Opens Office of Financial Technology Innovation

The DFPI is opening a new Office of Financial Technology Innovation to help guide the creation of responsible financial products and services. The new office will engage with entrepreneurs and innovators early on to provide critical regulatory feedback, keep up with emerging trends, and modernize laws so all companies can operate on a level-playing field.

Financial tech and cryptocurrency expert Christina Tetreault has been hired to lead the office. In the next few months, she will establish regular ‘office hours’ for fintech innovators and stakeholders and plans to host listening sessions to gather feedback on how the San Francisco-based office can provide support and guidance to emerging businesses that will spur job creation and safeguard consumers.
If you are developing new financial products or services and have questions, contact us at Ask.DFPI@dfpi.ca.gov.

June is National Homeownership Month

Celebrate the benefits of owning a home for families, neighborhood stability, and communities across America. This is also an opportunity to learn about the scams and fraud that target mortgage applicants, homebuyers, and homeowners.
The DFPI provides this information as well as resources from programs and organizations that help individuals and families achieve their homeownership goals in our Path to Homeownership brochure. Download and share it!

Building Black Wealth Initiative

In partnership with the DFPI, the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) has launched Building Black Wealth, a program to help increase Black homeownership in our state. The program offers free educational resources including tips for first time homebuyers, down payment assistance, and housing counseling. Other partners include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the California Association of Realtors, and the California Legislative Black Caucus.

To learn more, visit https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/community/buildingblackwealth.htm

Home Improvement with PACE Financing

Are you thinking about taking on a home improvement project and financing it through the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program? Before obtaining financing through one of these programs, visit the DFPI informational webpage to learn about the risks and get answers to common questions: https://dfpi.ca.gov/pace-program-administrators/pace.

Before hiring a contractor, be sure to verify the contractor’s license with the Contractors State License Board at https://www.cslb.ca.gov.