Student Loan Forgiveness, Rental Assistance, Social Security + More!

Dear Friends,

There's been a lot of exciting news over the past few weeks, and I'm here to keep you updated! From the student loan debt relief application launch to long-term rental assistance from HACLA, take a moment to review the programs and resources below. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call my office at (213) 481-1425.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Gomez
Member of Congress

Student Loan Debt Relief Application

The Student Loan Debt Relief Application is now live!

Thanks to the work of my Progressive colleagues and I, the Biden administration announced its plan to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt — and 3.5 million borrowers in California are eligible for some debt cancellation. This application will remain open until December 31, 2023.

Apply at the link below — it takes less than five minutes!

Apply Here

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver

Do you have a federal student loan and work for a non-profit or the government? If so, you may be able to benefit from temporary changes made to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Under the new “Limited PSLF Waiver," millions of non-profit and government employees that have federal student loans may now be eligible for loan forgiveness or receive credit for past periods of repayment.

To take advantage of the waiver, you need to:

Register for an FSA ID if you don’t already have one at this link.
If you have Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), Perkins loans, or other federal student loans including FISL or NDSL, you will need to apply to consolidate your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan to qualify for PSLF. Before consolidating, make sure to check to see if you work or previously worked for a qualifying employer using the PSLF Help Tool. You can consolidate your loans if you need to at this link.
Submit a PSLF form to certify employment for PSLF that you want credit for through the waiver. You can generate a PSLF form at this link.

There’s no specific application for the waiver – you will just need to submit a PSLF form by October 31. Once you have submitted a PSLF form and consolidated into the Direct Loan program, you will be automatically opted into the waiver.

Long-term Rental Assistance

Do you or someone you know need long-term help paying rent in the City of Los Angeles?

For the first time since 2017, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) will accept online applications for their Section 8 Waiting List Lottery from Monday, October 17 through 5:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, October 30, 2022. The Section 8 program offers housing assistance to eligible households by paying a portion of their rent directly to their landlord every month

Visit HACLA.hcvlist.org to read the eligibility criteria and apply online at any time during the two-week open application period. Applying early does not increase your chances of being chosen in the lottery. At the end of the application period, HACLA will use a random lottery to select 30,000 applicants for placement on the Section 8 Waiting List.

If you need help applying for any reason, including disability-related assistance, translation services, or communication in an alternative format:

Visit HACLA.hcvlist.org and click on the “HELP” link for a map of in-person assistance locations, helpful instructional videos, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Call HACLA’s waiting list hotline at 213-523-SEC8 (7328) or toll-free 877-621-SEC8 (7328), between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. PT every day during the application period.
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities using TDD or TTY technology may call California Relay Services by dialing 7-1-1 for assistance.

Social Security & Medicare

The Social Security Administration announced that older Americans will see an 8.7% cost-of-living increase in their monthly Social Security checks.

Starting in the new year, for the first time in a decade, Social Security checks will increase while Medicare premiums will decrease – putting more money in the pockets of millions on fixed incomes. No action is required to take advantage of these benefits.

These benefits, along with the health care savings made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will protect seniors from rising costs. This law would:

Cap out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
Allow Medicare to negotiate prices for high-cost drugs, lowering costs.
Save Medicare recipients money by capping insulin copays at $35/month.
Provides extra help paying for prescription drugs by expanding eligibility for Part D Low-Income Subsidies.

As your voice in Congress, I will always fight to protect AND expand your Social Security and Medicare benefits!