Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon issued a joint clarification Monday on the extension of the eviction moratorium, which protects California residents from losing their homes in the face of COVID-19 impacts.
"COVID-19 continues to devastate communities across our state and too many Californians are left one paycheck away from losing their apartments or homes. These families need protection and relief now," said Gavin Newsom, Governor of California.
The official pointed out that this agreement to extend the moratorium on evictions will protect tenants and small landlords from losing their homes until June 30 of this year.
He added that work is already underway "as quickly as possible to implement the California portion of the latest federal stimulus bill, ensuring up to $2.6 billion in tenant-based assistance is administered quickly, equitably and responsibly."
"These desperately needed federal funds, targeted to the most at-risk households with back rent, will help tenants stay afloat during and after this pandemic. Income-qualified tenants and their landlords can opt to receive direct rental assistance in exchange for forgiveness of past rental debt," he said.
In that regard, he noted that the eviction moratorium and rapid deployment of funds to the most at-risk are among the state's priorities, however, there is still work to be done to address California's structural housing cost crisis.
"The pandemic exacerbated these problems, it did not create them. And our work to address these fundamental problems must continue with urgency and resolve," said Newsom.
