2263 Santa Clara Avenue The Board of Supervisors has not discussed ending the Public Health Emergency Order and has not scheduled this discussion yet. Rents for this period are subject to the eviction protections described above. The over-income tenants need to help us by paying their rent.. It essentially bans all evictions, either for nonpayment Although Californias eviction protections for tenants with pending rental assistance applications ended June Housing | City Hall Address The Alameda County moratorium, enacted in March 2020, is one of the few surviving protections in the state. I think we are going to see a lot of displacement, and this is going to affect lower-income community members more than those with higher incomes, said Michelle Starratt, housing director for Alameda County. Natalie lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley, and has only left her beloved East Bay once, to attend Pomona College. Is there any end in sight, from a policy perspective? Beeler asked a county lawyer during the hearing. What we saw was a rapid rise in evictions and displacement.. The City Council has prohibited no-fault evictions until 30 days after the local emergency expires. Alameda County Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) seeks to create a pool of qualified consultants to perform special projects on an as needed basis. You cant do it. But since it hasnt started yet, we really dont know if that protection really exists., Landlords have a right to the income that they are owed and they have a right to sue their tenants in small claims court to obtain payment, said Starratt. For resources available to tenants and landlords in Alameda County, including free legal services for lower-income tenants and homeowners, visit Alameda County Housing Secure. If you get a notice from your landlord, time is of the essence for you to respond, says Starratt. While additional funding may become available, the Program cannot guarantee Rental Assistance for households that applied after March 31, 2022. Q: What is"financialdistress" for residential tenants?A:This means loss of income or increased expenses due to COVID-19. If all unpaid rent is not paid by that date, the landlord may get a court judgment for the unpaid amount. WebThe Alameda County Board of Supervisors has enacted a temporary moratorium on evictions countywide in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19 ) pandemic. They might say, No, thats not legal. Although Californias eviction protections for tenants with pending rental assistance applications ended June 30, 2022; Alameda Countys stringent eviction moratorium remains in effect. However, it doesnt mean that the states rental protections go away. Its really important that you respond because if you dont, you wont actually have any protections, she said. <>/Metadata 267 0 R/ViewerPreferences 268 0 R>> This covers 100% of past rent owed on or after April 1, 2020. However, attorneys for the city and county said the state law permitted local jurisdictions to keep their stricter eviction moratoriums, so long as the policies were passed before the state law went into effect. Click here to learn more. Her message: If you can pay your rent, you should pay it.. Q: Are there new limits on evictions for nonpayment of rent, after October 1, 2021?A:Yes. ACCE members rallied outside the courthouse before the hearing, talking about the challenges theyve faced during the crisis and with unsympathetic or abusive landlords. Revitalizing low-income neighborhoods by installing sidewalks and public accessibility improvements, and by The states most powerful landlord group, the California Apartment Association, on Thursday sued Alameda County to end its broad eviction moratorium. WebAlameda County remains on an island with a draconian eviction moratorium that may have made sense at the outset of the pandemic but makes little sense now. She was previously on staff at Berkeleyside, where her extensive reporting on the legacy of school desegregation received recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists NorCal and the Education Writers Association. Although Alameda County no longer has an eviction on moratoriums, some cities within the county like Oakland and Berkeley maintain separate eviction policies. Some local moratoria remained, but many of those have expired or are expiring soon. Your offices recent calling out of Oakland for seeking to shirk its responsibility over housing Read The 2022-23 budget included the $40 million base allocation for the EAF, as well as funding for specific uses, including $30 million for eviction protection and $15 million for consumer debt cases. Both California's and Alameda County's COVID-19 health emergencies ended on February 28, 2023. It essentially bans all evictions, either for nonpayment or other reasons, to keep renters from being displaced during the health crisis. In addition to not paying rent thats due starting May 1, your landlord can also now attempt to evict you based on your behavior during the moratorium, says Starratt. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. May 5, 2022 Whitney Prout CAA Legal and Compliance Counsel The California Apartment Association on Thursday filed a lawsuit in federal court against Alameda County, alleging that its eviction moratorium infringes on rental housing providers constitutional rights and violates state law. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until MON 5:00 AM PDT, San Francisco Bay Shoreline, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California. See Department pages for physical address. Q: Canthe landlord increase the rent?A:Rent levels for all controlled units (generally, all multi-family units built before February 1995) have been frozen during the emergency. Please be sure to respond to your application coordinator when contacted to speed up approval. To learn more about your rights and apply for representation, contact them using. <> We amplify community voices, share information resources, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. There are no stay-at-home orders, businesses are no longer closed. The council homebuyers. As of May 2022, the local emergency is still in place. Most landlords are willing to help renters with genuine needs, but some tenants have been taking advantage of the ban. WebSeptember 2022 Ending the Alameda County Eviction Moratorium Month: September 2022 The Homeless Problem in Alameda County is too big Eviction Moratorium For more information on the Alameda County Eviction Moratorium, please visit theAlameda County Housing and Community Developmenthome page. Newsom: In some of your most recent moves, youre doing a lot to help the homeless. neighborhood-serving facilities. There has not been clear data on the number of renters whove missed payments locally, making it hard to determine the overall financial impact of the moratorium on landlords. To learn more or apply, go to RenewAC.org, or contact Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley at (510) 803-3388 or [email protected]. The Jains received aid from the Fremont relief fund for 12 months of rent, but the tenant is still at least $58,000 behind. Financial assistance covers past due rent and utility bills, as well as future rent. That means they will be lifted after officials in the city and county declare the COVID-19 crisis over. Local Moratorium Expires 60 Days After the End of the Public Health Emergency Order, Alameda County Housing and Community Development, ALL IN Alameda County and Initiatives Have Transitioned into Alameda County Agencies, Alameda County Supervisor Dave Browns Biweekly Newsletter (October 11, 2022), Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution in Support of Reproductive Rights in Alameda County, Alameda County Supervisor Dave Browns Biweekly Newsletter (March 7, 2022), Alameda County Supervisor Dave Brownss Biweekly Newsletter (February 7, 2022). County supervisors and a county attorney did not return messages Thursday seeking comment. Tenants with lower income who have not paid their rent and who still have outstanding rent, even if they got some of it paid by rental assistance, need to come up with a payment plan with their landlord and identify some ways to start making payments, she said. We have received more requests than we currently have funds available. However, if a tenant violated their lease in another way, the landlord will be able to begin an eviction process.. A second and final city council vote is still needed, and that's expected on May 2. The language for the new form is in section 15 of AB 832. Get everything you need to keep up to date with resources specifically tailored for your city. Landlords sue Alameda County over eviction ban, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Total dominance: Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, How renters will be protected when Oaklands eviction ban ends in July, In Oakland, its landlords who are unhappy with a plan to end eviction ban, California apartment vacancies near 2-year high as rents slip 3.5% from peak, Peninsula landlord charged with discriminating against family with young children, Letters: Lockdowns role | Reshaping charges | Reparations deserved | Reject dividers | Racist tropes. However, the Alameda County Temporary Eviction Moratorium expired September 2021. Under these protections, landlords cant file an eviction without first trying to get rent relief for the tenant. lawsuit filed by a group of rental property owners, Judge allows Oakland eviction moratorium to stand, for now, Landlords sue to end eviction moratoriums in Oakland and Alameda County, Oakland and Alameda Countys eviction moratoriums are still in effect, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Tenants and homeowners have received legal services through ACHS, Centro Legal de la Raza: (510) 437-1554, [email protected], East Bay Community Law Center: (510) 548-4040, ext. Oakland and Alameda Countys eviction moratoriums are still in effect News about Californias eviction and rent relief programs has caused some confusion for local The budget also included $250,000 for legal aid organizations to prepare for implementation of the CARE Act. The policy was designed to end 60 days after the expiration of Alamedas COVID health emergency, which ended on February 28th. Even though her boyfriend lost income during the pandemic, Garcias household has been able to make rent payments, she said. A tenant not paying their rent is grounds for eviction, said Starratt in an interview with KQED. The county is open for business in every other way, said Whitney Prout, staff attorney for the California Apartment Association (CAA). Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be subject of copyright protection under the Act. Your donation makes this and all our other local reporting possible. COVID-19 Rent Relief Resources for Alameda County Residents: Alameda County Housing Secure:www.ac-housingsecure.org The suit is the second challenge to the countys moratorium, following another suit by local landlords. Q: I heard that the States eviction moratorium is ending; am I protected under local law?A:Under the States COVID-19 rental protections tenants cannot be evicted if, due to COVID-19 financial distress, they cannot pay rent that came due during the covered periodMarch 1, 2020 until September 30, 2021. As long as tenants have applied for rent relief before April 1, their protectionextends through June 30, 2022. Thank you. WebThe Alameda County eviction moratorium ended on April 29, 2023, but you may still have important protections from eviction. Alameda County Temporary Commercial Eviction Moratorium. This also means that evictions for non-payment Please contact Rico Fenix at the Alameda City Attorney's Office by phone at 510-747-4775 or by email [email protected]. Each application is evaluated and prioritized based on those most at risk of homelessness, including small landlords. The Alameda County ban allows a few narrow exceptions, including for the health and safety of tenants and the removal of a property from the rental market. Expanding the supply of affordable housing for lower income renters and owners, including first-time The only no" vote was for ending the moratorium even sooner. Gov. by soddie | Sep 30, 2021 | Current News, News & Announcements. The suit marks the latest step toward dismantling COVID-19 protections for tenants, as health risks have diminished and many state and local programs and efforts The suit also says the moratoriums violate the Fourteenth Amendment and conflict with the states eviction ban, which expired in June and only applied if tenants were financially impacted by the pandemic and participated in the states rent relief program. He said he tried unsuccessfully to sell the building, his only rental property, but the prospective buyer only wanted it if the renters left. The judges decision will boil down to legal interpretationswhether property is being taken or not, whether or not non-paying tenants are strangers trespassing, and if the local law conflicts with the states. To help keep our streets clean from debris and safe for all modes of travel, the City will resume street sweeping service according to posted schedules this Monday, June 15, 2020. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? Conflicts between state and local law must be determined by a court of law. All rights reserved. WebUnderstanding Alameda Countys Eviction Moratorium Webinar. WebSeptember 2022 Ending the Alameda County Eviction Moratorium Month: September 2022 The Homeless Problem in Alameda County is too big Eviction Moratorium wont solve the problem. Mallory Homewood, Policy & Compliance Counsel, California Apartment Association, Whitney Prout, Policy & Compliance Counsel, California Apartment Association. I Still Have Questions About The City's Laws For renters. Sign up for The Oaklandsides free daily newsletter. The Alameda County Eviction Moratorium is expressly permitted by state legislation under section 1179.05 et. Ignoring the pleas of local housing providers, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a proposal to discuss potential changes to the seq. Watch our website navigation videos and get the most out of caanet.org! - The Oakland City Council early Wednesday morning made a decision toward ending the city's moratorium on evictions. The protections were established by Alameda County in 2020 as a way to protect renters from the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, property owners have railed against the moratorium and accused tenants of taking advantage of the moratorium to case paying rent for reasons unrelated to COVID. For example, The Oakland moratorium will continue to protect tenants for eviction due to nonpayment of rent, Starratt told KQED in an email. Q: When do residential tenants have to pay all back rent they owe?A: Under state law, starting May 1, 2022, tenants must start repaying unpaid back rent and they have until May 31, 2023 to repay all back rent. In June 2021, the state set aside new money for rent relief. California Apartment Association980 Ninth Street, Suite 1430Sacramento, CA 95814, toll free: 800-967-4222 fax: 877-999-7881 [email protected]. endobj If a tenant does not pay the minimum 25% of rent that is due by September 30, 2021, the tenant may be protected from eviction for the past due rent if they apply for rental assistance. Theyre not considered low-income and they didnt pay their rent during COVID, and that is a problem.. Thats after the emergency rental assistance funding that came from the federal and state governments brought over $220 million worth of back paid rent into the county, she said. COVID-19 protections and assistance for renters are being phased out across the state. In Oakland, its landlords who are unhappy with a plan to end eviction ban This protection remains in place until 30 days after the declared state of emergency is over. Landlords can again take tenants to court for failing to pay rent, although tenants with pending aid applications with the state can be protected through next month. If you qualify, but fail to submit an application, you may face an eviction. Theres anywhere from $125 million to $300 million worth of outstanding rent thats owed in the county, said Starratt. Housing | As Beeler peppered lawyers for both sides with questions, it was not clear whether she was convinced that the substance of the eviction moratoriums violated landlords constitutional rights. The landlords who filed the lawsuit have asked Beeler to rule in their favor without having to proceed to trial, through a process known as summary judgment. A judge could kick that part of our [Alameda County] ordinance out. Rents for September 1, 2020 - September 30, 2021: 75% of these months' total rent can be converted to "consumer debt" if you have given your landlord a "financial distress" declaration (see above), but you must pay at least the remaining 25% of that total by September 30, 2021. Q: Is there rent protection for commercial tenants?A:During COVID, commercial tenants had an eviction defense for unpaid rent that was due to a "substantial loss of income." Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism.