California Signs Legislation For Rent Relief, Eviction Moratorium And Secure Equitable Investments For State Budget

Gov. Newsom Signs Rent Relief Program for Low-Income Tenants, Eviction Moratorium Extension and Additional Legislation

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom June 28, signed legislation to extend the state’s eviction moratorium through September 30, 2021 and clear rent debt for low-income Californians that have suffered economic hardship due to the pandemic. Under AB 832, California will significantly increase cash assistance to low-income tenants and small landlords under the state’s $5.2 billion rent relief program, making it the largest and most comprehensive COVID rental protection and rent relief program of any state in the nation.

In an agreement forged between the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly, with AB 832 the reimbursement of the state’s emergency rental assistance program  now provides 100 % of past-due and prospective rent payments, as well as utility bills for income-qualified tenants. AB 832 also allows tenants to access rental funds directly if their landlord chooses not to participate and ensures landlords can receive compensation even if their otherwise income-qualified tenants have already vacated a unit.

Gov. Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon June 25,announced an agreement on the legislation, which also ensures rental assistance dollars stay in California by prioritizing cities and counties with unmet needs and makes temporary reforms to the judicial process to ensure tenants and landlords have attempted to obtain rental assistance.

Details: www.gov.ca.gov/eviction-moratorium-extension-increased-compensation-for-rent-relief/ 

Sen. Bradford Secures More than $130 Million in Direct, Equitable Investments for His District in the State Budget

SACRAMENTO – The California Senate and the Assembly June 28, passed an unprecedented budget. While Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to sign Assembly Bill 129: the Budget Act of 2021, this measure does represent a three-party agreement between the Senate, Assembly, and the Newsom Administration.

The total budget spending package is $262.6 billion, of which $196.4 million is from the General Fund. The state is using $11 billion to pay off all the Proposition 98 money owed to schools, which was borrowed to deal with last year’s budget crises. Over $25 billion is being saved in various reserve accounts to create safety buffers for unanticipated volatility and to put the state on solid fiscal footing.     

The Budget Act of 2021 makes needed and helpful investments specifically into

Senate District 35, including, but not limited to,

· $60 million to California State University Dominguez Hills to address infrastructure needs;

· $50 million for Charles Drew University to construct a medicine and science building and to support more people of color going into the health profession;

· $10 million to Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Hospital to provide infrastructure and workforce support;

· $8.5 million for the Inglewood Market Street Streetscape Improvement Program and the Market Street Facade and Tenant Improvement Program;

· $1.2 million to the Boys & Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor for restoration of the Cheryl Green Center for children to play and learn;

· $3.5 million for the Los Angeles Black Worker Center to create the Workforce Equity Demonstration Project to assist more workers in obtaining government jobs; and,

· $1 million to the Mervyn M. Dymally African American Political & Economic Institute at California State University Dominguez Hills. 

Notable overall investments in The Budget Act of 2021-22 include, but are not limited to:

· Another modified round of the Golden State Stimulus, which will provide direct relief to Californians with income up to $75,000, with the amount of assistance varying from $500 to $1,100 depending on a family’s filing status;

· Extension of the eviction moratorium for non-payment of rent to September 30, 2021 and 100 percent rent COVID rent forgiveness;

· $1.5 billion in grants to small business and nonprofits;

· $12 billion to prevent homelessness;

· An additional 120,000 child care slots in fiscal year 2021-22, and increasing an additional 80,000 slots over the next four years;  

· $3 billion one-time to launch a statewide initiative to foster community schools in over 1000 campuses where students and their families’ health and services needs can be met with the overarching goal of supporting academic success;

· $1 billion ongoing and $753 million one-time to expand afterschool and summer school enrichment programs for low-income students;

· Expansion of Medi-Cal to adults age 50 and older regardless of immigration status;

· $151 million to eliminate criminal administrative fees that create a poverty and debt trap for the many who cannot afford to pay them; and,

· $30 million to help cannabis equity applicants and licensees pay for the cost of licensing fees.