The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday extended protections for residential tenants who can show they are missing rent payments due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But beyond Tuesday’s action, supervisors said they want to see next week some options and numbers for how to best provide for financial assistance and legal aid for Contra Costa residents who either are fighting to stay in their homes or who feel they have to take legal action against landlords.
Much of the financial aid would come from a $4 million pool of Community Development Block Grant money. Supervisor Federal Glover also said he wants landlords — many under financial pressure themselves because of the many tenants behind on rent — to be able to seek help from the CDBG funding.
Supervisors said they want that renters’ aid to help people beyond the narrow scope of those helped by Concord-based Shelter Inc., which has been working for many years to help people threatened with homelessness.
Several public callers not only urged extension of the existing tenant protections, but asked county officials to do better in getting the needed information out to the public about how they can get help.
The supervisors will get a formal report at their Sept. 29 meeting about the various options.
In the meantime, the supervisors voted 5-0 to extend limiting evictions and rent increases in Contra Costa County. It is the fourth time the supervisors have approved such protections. The county’s previous eviction moratorium was set to expire Sept. 30; the new one runs through Jan. 31, 2021, and covers both evictions and rent increases.
The new urgency ordinance also brings Contra Costa County law more in line with state laws offering eviction and rent increase protection.
Assembly Bill 3088, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 31. It prohibits unlawful detainer actions against residents with COVID-19-related financial distress for non-payment of
rent and other charges due between Sept. 1, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2021.
That bill offers some relief for residential landlords as well, converting back rent payments into “consumer debt” and allowing landlords to pursue collecting that money through small claims courts, beginning in March.
24 comments
If you can’t pay your rent then you should be evicted. Landlords have mortgages to pay as well. Poor people have it way to easy in this State. Stop asking for handouts and live within your means.
Maybe they shoouldnt be exploiting their tenants during a pandemic?
@IDK, some name
How is asking for the agreed amount (the big boys/girls entered into a contract) exploiting them?
Is Apple exploiting their customers when they ask for their money for their phone?
Is PG&E/ EBMUD/Comcast exploiting their customers?
You’re way too woke! You need a dose of common sense and reality. For your sake take it in small doses, it’s gonna hurt.
Exploiting their tenants? How about the tenants honor the commitment they made when they signed the rental agreement. Aspire to be more than a victim and your life will change dramatically.
Please tell me how they are exploiting them by expecting their money on time every month? You mean plandemic that bankrupt small businesses and destroyed households.
I’m sure you support Mom’s 4 Housing as well huh? Take what you don’t own and make it yours.
I would imagine the rental agreements were signed when the tenant was employed, don’t you think? The tenants WERE living within their means while employed, but if they’re unemployed, that argument doesn’t wash.
As for landlords having mortgage payments? How many landlords have agreements with their bank, to temporarily suspend payments?
Having a wave of people evicted from their homes would be pretty terrible for the economy. Think of the big picture. What percent of the tenants you rent to are refusing to pay?
I can”t blelieve this day has actually come> I actually agree with trauma (I might have to reconsider!)
@ IDK there in lies the problem with the way our society is going
Give me handouts! I’m not responsible for my own life! While I feel for those that are affected by COVID, the landlord also has a bill to pay. Their mortgages are going into default and they will soon be (or already have) lost their homes. Are they not victims as well? There is nothing in here to protect the landlords. What happens when the tenant can start paying again? Do you really think they are going to be able to repay the missing months worth of rent? No. The landlords will e out that money.
yep….supply and demand will find a balance.
@ the masked
That’s just an excuse. It’s no different than me being required to pay my mortgage. We’re all in the same boat. Mortgage company’s are not forgiving payments. They will allow you to skip 3 and on the 4th they want all 4 payments in full.
When they signed the contract they committed to the obligation. There was no contingency that stated they’d pay rent if they were employees.
Be responsible. Go seek out work, do odd jobs for money, recycle cans. Sell stuff, deliver pizzas. Find a way to be a responsible adult instead of throwing your hands in the air and giving up on someone else’s expense.
I can’t believe in this day and age with all the nonsense going on that we literally have to describe how to be an adult to adults.
@Masked (and gloved)
With all due respect this is an example of why people need to focus on trying to build enough savings for a year in the event they become unemployed.
When the landlord loses the property because they are not able keep up with their payments then what happens? There is a misconception that all landlords are rich and can afford to let people live in their homes for free during this pandemic. If you are not able to pay the rent now how will you be able to pay the lump sum balance to catch up once you get a job? That is a huge weight on the tenants shoulders. Giving someone more time to pile up a bigger debt just is trading one problem for another.
Ha!
TYS
How is this not illegal? I hope a bunch of landlords band together and sue the county. This is an overreach by far. So is this whole ridiculous situation with the schools and private businesses. If you want freedom, vote Trump.
Seems the last time I checked i saw that Trump is the current President and has the Senate as well. So how can I be that the fredome you mention is not currently apparent?
CA feels that they are not part of the nation. Trump needs 4 more and then CA needs to overhaul its current political dictatorship.
The state/county should pay the landlords back rent and then the state/county can pursue collecting the money.
Trump has also is working on halting evictions.
So unless you are demanding Republicans stop Trump’s work on this – you clearly don’t care about the issue – you only care about politics 🙂
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/01/trump-administration-moves-to-halt-evictions-during-coronavirus.html
What about property taxes? Contra Costa County is way to high. If we don’t pay you take our property.
Agreed. If the county says tenants cannot be evicted if they are having a hard time making payments due to COVID, then any homeowner having a hard time making tax payments due to COVID should not have to pay, either. Fair is fair…
This doesn’t apply to individually owned single family homes or town homes.
If you want to decrease the number of places for rent in the area, this is how you do it.
By preventing landlords from collecting money, owed to them under contract, and also preventing then from vacating the property to get a new tenant in. You think the bank lets them slide on the mortgage?
So glad I sold my rental property a few years ago.
IDK- YES, they are living outside their means if they do not have at least 6 months savings. And you better bet they didn’t cancel their expensive cable or phone plans. Plus, with the cray amount of unemployment that was getting paid, they ad ore than enough. Most are just taking advantage.
And what about the landlords that are being stiffed on rent? Without tenants paying rent, landlords can’t pay the mortgage or upkeep on their property! I’m talking about regular people that invested in rental properties, not huge companies.
This is ridiculous!
Can’t afford rent after 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic??? Then move out of the Bay Area, folks!!! We don’t owe you anything
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