Local Assemblymember Applauds State Legislature’s Vote to Extend COVID-19 Renter Protections

Assemblymember Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, praised the Legislature’s passage on Thursday of Senate Bill 91, which would extend state renter protections due to expire on Saturday through June 30.

Gov. Gavin Newsom previously said he would sign the bill, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It would extend the existing eviction moratorium for renters affected by COVID-19 hardships who pay at least 25% of their rent.

It also allocates up to $2.6 billion in federal funding to help renters catch up, the Times reported.

Holden said the bill wasn’t perfect, “but it provides critical protections and cash payments that will keep thousands of families afloat as we craft the policies and protections needed to get California through this crisis.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the crises California already faced, especially housing. Too many folks are just hanging by a thread, praying to make rent and avoid eviction. Too many small, mom-and-pop landlords who rely on tenants for income have been stretched thin trying to do the right thing,” he said in a written statement. “It is our responsibility to prevent tens of thousands of catastrophic life change events for these families.”

Without intervention, the state is likely to face an “eviction cliff” on Feb. 1 with the expiration of the eviction moratorium, Holden said.

“This is an important and critical big step forward, and that is why I supported the legislation today. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues, advocates, and community members in my district to close loopholes that put renters in insurmountable rental debt, improve solutions that solve our housing crises and provide support to families struggling in this pandemic,” he said.

In the interest of transparency, the bill includes a mandate for state officials to provide a monthly report documenting “programmatic performance metrics for funds administered,” as well as calls for the state to “closely monitor the usage of funding to ensure that the program is stabilizing households and preventing evictions,” according to a statement from Holden’s office.