Housing Crisis: Santa Cruz Co. Puts Moratorium On Evictions

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted a moratorium on no-fault tenant evictions in unincorporated areas until Assembly Bill 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, goes into effect Jan. 1.

Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, AB 1482 is a statewide law addressing the housing crisis by limiting annual rent increases to 5 percent plus inflation or 10 percent of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling unit at any time during the prior 12 months, whichever is lower.

“We know how challenging it is for working families to find housing in our community. It is important that we protect them until this legislation goes into effect,” Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Chair Ryan Coonerty said.

AB 1482 also requires landlords to have just cause in order to evict tenants who have occupied a rental for more than one year. Just cause can include failure to pay rent, breach of the lease, creating a nuisance, owner occupation, and other reasons.

Both the rent cap and the just cause provisions are subject to exemptions including housing built in the past 15 years and single-family residences unless owned by a real estate trust or corporation.

AB 1482 sunsets after 10 years.

According to the county's own analysis, a housing affordability crisis exists, and it's driving
homelessness and displacement of residents.

"Many of our county’s renters are rent burdened, paying over 30 percent of their income on rent, and some renters are severely rent burdened, paying over 50 percent of their income on rent. This leaves less money for families to spend on other necessities like food, healthcare, transportation, and education," according to the analysis.

"There is a financial incentive for landlords to evict long-term, lower-income tenants, without cause, to raise rents and attract wealthier tenants, before AB 1482 becomes effective. This gap in protection for renters comes at a particularly difficult time for local low-income families who have just endured the costs and in some cases loss of income due to PG&E’s recent power shut-offs," according to the analysis.