SLO County tenants owe at least $24 million in rent due to COVID. Here’s how to get help
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Thousands of tenants throughout San Luis Obispo County owe a combined millions of dollars in back rent due to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic — and elected officials and housing activists are considering ways to help.
The coronavirus outbreak has closed businesses, forced mass layoffs and created childcare challenges — making it difficult for many county residents to pay their rent, mortgages and utility bills.
At least 7,300 county households owe a total of $24 million in rent debt as of December 2020, according to a report by Bay Area Equity Atlas.
Statewide, households owe about $3.7 billion in rent debt, the report says. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office reports the statewide debt total is closer to $400 million.
“We are at a crisis point and people are falling through the cracks,” said Dona Hare Price of Rent and Mortgage Relief SLO County in a news release. “There is aid coming from the state and federal government, but in many cases, it is coming too late or the folks that need it most are not eligible to receive it.
“The fact is that far too many families are on the brink of being evicted and finding themselves homeless,” Price continued. “We need to mobilize all resources available at (all) levels, including the local level, to help stop the bleeding and save livelihoods.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed SB 91, a law extending a ban on evictions caused by tenants’ inability to pay their rent due to COVID-19-related financial hardships. The law also created a program to provide subsidies to some landlords that would take care of some tenants’ back rent.
Tenants seeking legal advice should contact the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation (SLOLAF) at 805-543-5140 or California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) at 805-544-7994. For more information on state protections for landlords and tenants, visit landlordtenant.dre.ca.gov.
Here’s what county renters need to know about California tenant protection and rent relief:
What should I do if I can’t afford my rent or mortgage?
California’s most recent eviction ban law extends protections through the end of June. Landlords cannot evict tenants who are unable to pay their full rent due to COVID-19 financial impacts.
To access the protections, tenants must pay 25% of their rent, either every month or as a lump sum by June 30, according to SLOLAF.
Landlords can give tenants a 15-day eviction notice due to unpaid rent, but they must provide a form allowing renters to demonstrate they’ve been financially impacted by COVID-19.
Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, homeowners and small landlords struggling to pay their mortgages are allowed to place federal loans into forbearance, which means they can postpone their payments, according to state landlord protection guidelines.
Property owners with mortgages that aren’t federally backed can also request forbearance. All mortgage providers must give a reason for denying forbearance requests.
Can my landlord still evict me?
Landlords can still evict tenants who can’t pay their rent but aren’t impacted by COVID-19. However, some renters who fall into this category are also protected by federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction rules that remain in effect through March.
Landlords can also evict tenants for lease violations, if they want to move into rental units they own or if they sell units to buyers who want to move in.
At this time, property owners cannot evict tenants to make renovations to their rental units, according to SLOLAF.
Landlords are required by California law to provide tenants with reasons for evictions.
Do I have to pay back the rent I owe?
Yes, but the new state law will allow some landlords to apply for subsidies that will cover 80% of tenants’ rent debt, as long as they forgive 20% and don’t pursue evictions, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Tenants will also be able to apply for help paying 25% of their rent debt if their landlords don’t participate in the state subsidy program.
Rent debt that’s not covered by the state will be converted to regular consumer debt, and landlords can take tenants to small claims court to recover the money, according to SLOLAF.
When is rent relief coming, and how can I access it?
California is receiving $2.6 billion in federal dollars to help pay for rent relief, the Sacramento Bee reports. San Luis Obispo County will get $8.4 million of that money.
The county has not yet announced a system to distribute rent subsidies to landlords and tenants.
Rent and Mortgage Relief SLO County and a group of local elected officials are setting up a private fund to collect donations and issue direct aid to tenants and small landlords.
Details for the fund and how to apply for money are still in the works.
What should I do if my landlord is trying to evict me?
Landlords must go through a legal process to evict tenants. Legal evictions involve issuing a notice and allowing tenants to appear in court to advocate for themselves.
Only the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office can legally lock residents out of their rental units following evictions.
Landlords cannot pursue “self-help” evictions and lock tenants out on their own, as this is illegal.
Tenants who receive eviction notices should contact SLOLAF at 805-543-5140 or California Rural Legal Assistance at 805-544-7994 immediately for legal advice.
Resources
Legal support
- California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA): 805-544-7994, crla.org/services-and-programs
- San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation (SLOLAF): 805-543-5140, slolaf.org
Family support
- Link Family Resource Center: 805-466-5404, linkslo.org
- Center for Family Strengthening, Promotores Collaborative of SLO County: 805-462-7135, cfsslo.org/promotoreslo
Affordable housing
- HASLO: 805-543-4478, haslo.org
- Paso Robles Housing Authority: 805-238-4015, pasoroblesha.org
- Peoples’ Self-Help Housing: 805-781-3088, pshhc.org/slo-county
- Note: The waiting-list time for all above agencies is difficult to predict.
Home repair
- CAPSLO Weatherization: 805-541-4122, capslo.org/energy-services. Program for low-income people to make homes more energy efficient to save on utility bills. Repairs are free but must be approved by your landlord.
This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
