CA To Consider Extending Its Eviction Moratorium [Survey]

CALIFORNIA — California legislators this week are set to consider whether to extend a pandemic-spurred eviction moratorium. Although lawmakers were expected to OK an extension in January, a decision has been delayed several times.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that the state use federal coronavirus aid to cover all of the unpaid rent struggling Californians have accrued during the pandemic, but it will take time to sort that out.

In the meantime, Newsom and legislative leaders will meet privately this week to negotiate the state's estimated $260 billion operating budget. Legislators and the governor are also expected to decide whether it will extend eviction protections for tenants, which expire on June 30.

Landlords and tenants' advocacy groups are arguing over how long that extension should last.

"The expectation for people to be up and at ’em and ready to pay rent on July 1 is wholeheartedly unfair," said Kelli Lloyd, a 43-year-old single mother who says she has not worked consistently since the pandemic began in March 2020.

California has reopened and its rapid and surprising economic recovery has pitted some landlords against extending the eviction moratorium.

“We're getting back to normal,” Carlton said. “It's time to go back to work. It's time to pay the rent.”

The state has added more than 390,000 jobs since February. Although payroll jobs have increased, California reported a 7.9 percent unemployment rate in May, one of the highest rates in the country.

Newsom told Univision earlier this month that he "definitely" wants to extend the moratorium past June 30.

"Removing eviction protections while there is ample funding available to help these people stay in their homes would be a disaster," said Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) who helped author the original eviction moratorium last year. "We must extend protections past June 30."

Since late January, the state has been gradually dispersing $2.6 million in rental assistance as part of an eviction protection plan carved out by Newsom and passed by the Legislature.

Under that plan, landlords were offered an incentive to forgive a portion of back rent: Landlords could be paid up to 80 percent of their tenants' missed rent through March 2021 if the remaining 20 percent balance is forgiven and property owners agree not to pursue evictions.

California has $5.2 billion to pay off back rent, funding that came from multiple aid packages approved by Congress. That appears to be more than enough to cover all of the unpaid rent in the state, according to Jason Elliott, senior counselor to Newsom on housing and homelessness.

But that money will take some time to divvy up, and its unlikely to happy by June 30.

Just $32 million has been paid out of the $490 million in applications for rental assistance through May 31, according to a report from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. And that doesn't include the 12 cities and 10 counties that run their own rental assistance programs.

"It’s challenging to set up a new, big program overnight," Chiu said. "It has been challenging to educate millions of struggling tenants and landlords on what the law is."

A deal could be cut as soon as Monday, making Thursday the earliest an extension could be approved, CalMatters reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.