California’s eviction ban ends soon. Here’s how renters can protect themselves
As California’s coronavirus eviction moratorium ends Friday, state officials and community advocates are urging renters to apply now for help from a housing and utility assistance fund that could give them cash to catch up on bills.
The state has billions of dollars to spend from money allocated through a federal pandemic relief law. People who receive support from the program also get extend eviction protections through March.
“Tenants who owe back rent or who will have trouble paying rent on the first of the month should not wait to apply for rent relief,” Department of Housing and Community Development Department Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a press release this week. “The sooner they apply for rent relief, the sooner they will be protected from eviction for non-payment of rent.”
Here is what to know:
Why is the eviction moratorium ending in California?
California had extended its eviction moratorium three times, including in June. But there was simply no political support to push the moratorium past Sept. 30, Assemblyman Daily Chiu, D-San Francisco, has said. Chiu has wrote bills instituting and extending the eviction moratorium.
I’m a renter. What can I do to avoid being evicted?
The best thing you can do is to file for the state and local rent relief program at housingiskey.com, officials said. There, you can click see what programs you’re eligible for and submit an application. Some communities, such as Sacramento County, have local programs while others such as Stanislaus County and Merced County use the state system.
Applying for the program will also prevent you from being evicted before April 1 as state and local officials evaluate whether you’re eligible to receive the aid. The program pays for unpaid back rent as far as April 1, 2020.
The aid can only be used to pay landlords. If you are paying your rent through putting it on a credit card, taking out a loan or relying on your families and friends, you won’t be reimbursed, said Leah Simon-Weisberg, legal director at the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Institute which advocates for tenants.
“It’s important to hang on tight until you get your rental assistance,” she said.
Even if you anticipate not being able to pay the rent going forward, you should apply now as you can also get paid for your upcoming rents, Simon-Weisberg said.
Let your landlord know that you have applied. A sample letter is available at housingiskey.com.
The state also advises you to prepare at least one of the following to make it easier for you to apply: Your 2020 tax return, W-2 or 1099 forms, current pay stubs or proof of participation in programs such as CalFresh.
Am I eligible for the aid?
If you’re asking this, the answer is likely yes. You’re eligible as long as you have unpaid rent or utilities, suffered some kind of financial difficulty (such as unemployment) during the pandemic and earned less than 80% of the county’s median income.
That’s $72,500 for a family of four in Sacramento County in 2021. For the same family in Fresno County, the threshold is at $55,750.
Where can I get help filing for aid?
Housingiskey.com is a state website you can go for help. The site is available in languages including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog.
You can also call 1-833-430-2122 to reach a live person. Need to go beyond a call? Call 1-833-687-0967 to make an in-person appointment with community organizations.
I got an eviction notice. Now what?
First, you should immediately get legal assistance. You can find free or low-cost legal help at FindLegalHelp.org or lawhelpca.org.
You can also give your landlord a letter showing you have faced COVID-19-related financial distress, which can be found at housingiskey.com. You should also apply to the rent relief program. Doing so within 15 business days of receiving the notice can prevent you from being evicted.
Also, ask your landlords if they applied to the rent relief program. If they have not, they can’t evict you.
What about utilities?
You can also get your utility bill, such as electricity, gas, sewer and Internet, paid in full. Apply the same way you applied for housing aid. The money will go directly to your utility providers.
How much money is available?
The state has given out $650 million to 55,000 households thus far as part of its rent and utility relief program. More than $1 billion has also been approved for payment, said Lourdes M. Castro Ramírez, secretary of the California Business, Consumer Affairs and Housing Agency.
Still, advocates said the majority of those eligible have yet to apply for the program and they are urging the state to extend the moratorium.
“Big issue tenants are facing is that they don’t know the program exists,” said René Christian Moya, an organizer at the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. “We’re going to see many tenants facing evictions sooner than they should.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "California’s eviction ban ends soon. Here’s how renters can protect themselves."
