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Westside Rentals Doubles HUD Rental Housing Stock for Fire Relief

SANTA MONICA, CA--(Marketwire - October 26, 2007) - Southern California's leading home finding service, WestsideRentals.com, has agreed to assist the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in helping those displaced by the devastating wildfires in Southern California. President Bush declared a state of emergency earlier this week and has called governmental agencies to action.

WestsideRentals.com will open up its proprietary database of over 17,500 local rental listings to HUD officials to help meet the needs of the thousands affected and seeking relief. Founder Mark Verge sought an opportunity to use Southern California's largest database of vacancies to help fire victims and elected to collaborate with HUD.

Access to Westside Rentals' database is normally $60 per renter, but Verge agreed to temporarily include the listings in HUD's new National Housing Locator (NHL) database at no cost. The NHL database was announced this year as a means to combat situations like the housing emergency following Hurricane Katrina in which some victims still have not found proper housing. The NHL aggregates rental listings from various providers to provide resources for HUD and FEMA representatives. By adding the 17,500+ listings, WestsideRentals.com will more than double the current stock of housing options available to those impacted by the week's blazes.

The Santa Monica-based organization expanded to include the San Diego rental market last year and now has 7 office locations to help local renters throughout Southern California. Verge started in 1996 by calling local landlords and listing their vacancies for free out of his garage and then selling the list as the legendary 4 PM "HotSheet" to lines of eager renters. The organization has sustained growth and expanded to over 80 employees who regularly check with landlords to confirm the availability of their rentals. The service has evolved to serve the higher quality renters that landlords seek.

"We hope to alleviate some of the problems we've seen plague the aftermath of a disaster like Katrina. The fires hit close to home and housing was an area we could help, so working with HUD made sense," said spokesman Ryan Wolfe. "We've really become the business model for the rental market in Southern California, so it's the best way for HUD to penetrate the market and reach individual landlords."

A standard membership to WestsideRentals.com gives 60 days of access to the rental listings for $60. Landlords who wish to help the pending housing needs can advertise their vacancy for free on www.westsiderentals.com and be included in HUD's relief effort.
Press inquiries contact:

Ryan Wolfe
310-576-1476
Email Contact

Westside Rentals to Assist with Rental Deposits for Fire Victims

PACIFIC BEACH, CA--(October 29, 2007) - WestsideRentals.com, the leading home finding service in Southern California, announced today a plan that would help fire victims by assisting with their rental deposit on any new lease signed as a result of being displaced by the fires.  Founder Mark Verge made the offer days after giving away memberships to the service to fire victims as well as offering Westside Rentals’ database of over 17,000 rental vacancies for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help families.

Westside Rentals plans to verify housing needs by reviewing housing vouchers from the Red Cross, insurance documentation, and/or FEMA card.  Verge’s commitment to relief in response to the fires has centered on the industry he knows best: rental housing.  The organization plans to leverage its strong relationship with regional landlords and property management firms to ease the burden that the blazes have incurred on thousands in the Southland as well as offering direct financial help.
While the 11 year old Santa Monica-based organization has served the San Diego area for just over a year, it has already amassed a following amongst landlords.  San Diego rentals now account for around 10% of its massive database of rental vacancies.  The firm boasts the largest pool of rentals in the region with over 17,000 in Los Angeles, Orange County, and other Southern California areas.  Westside Rentals has 7 offices including its newest located in Pacific Beach, which serves the San Diego market.

“Mark [Verge] has a big heart for Southern California.  He grew up in the region and wants to give back,” said spokesman Ryan Wolfe.  “The need is now and Westside Rentals is doing its best to help.”
Those displaced by the fires and seeking rental housing can email their story to FireRelief@westsiderentals.com to receive help with their rental deposit.  A standard membership to WestsideRentals.com gives 60 days of access to the rental listings for $60, but fire victims can request a FREE pass. Landlords who wish to help with housing needs can advertise their vacancy for free on www.westsiderentals.com and be included in HUD's relief effort.

Press inquiries contact:
Ryan Wolfe
310-576-1476
rwolfe@westsiderentals.com