Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have agreed to a proposal to extend through June protections against evictions for California tenants financially harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, an effort that would head off what some warn could be a housing crisis in the state, officials said Monday.
The proposal ironed out with Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and introduced in legislation made public Monday would also create a rent subsidy program using up to $2.6 billion in federal rental relief dollars.
The deal, confirmed by the governor, would help renters who have collectively fallen behind by hundreds of millions of dollars as the pandemic’s shutdown of the economy has put many out of work. Current state protections against eviction expire Jan. 31. But some tenant advocates said the proposal does not go far enough.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said Monday he would like to see more, but added that immediate action is needed this week on the proposal supported by the governor.
