As part of an ongoing grassroots effort led by CAA, rental housing providers throughout California are urging lawmakers to reject a lengthy extension of the statewide COVID-19 eviction moratorium.

Over the past week, hundreds of rental housing providers have sent messages to their representatives in the state Assembly and Senate, explaining how California’s eviction moratorium has affected them and their concerns about keeping it in place. 

“I beg you to please end this … moratorium this June 30,” writes a Los Angeles housing provider whose message to lawmakers is highlighted in a CAA mailer about the eviction moratorium. “I have three separate tenants that are working and obviously not affected by the COVID situation but decided to take advantage and decided not to pay their rents. This has to end.”

SB 91, which includes both the eviction moratorium and a framework for distributing federal rental assistance dollars, is set to expire at the end of this month, although tenant groups and some legislators want to extend it for the rest of 2021. They’re also demanding amendments to SB 91 that would embolden unscrupulous tenants to withhold rent even when they can afford to pay. The state Legislature could vote on extending SB 91 any time before June 15. 

CAA continues to urge housing providers to contact their legislators and write about the following: 

• Whether their tenants are — or are not — cooperating in applying for funding.
• If they have applied for funding but are still awaiting payment
• If their tenants have left owing them money.
• If they suspect their tenants don’t qualify and are still claiming a COVID hardship.