Californians have been experiencing and suffering from years of a severe housing crisis and continues today. We lived through millions of foreclosure after Wall Street banks crashed the economy in 2008, and we’ve been living through a period of skyrocketing rents driven in part by Wall Street speculators.
We know that for our low-income communities; especially communities of color, there has long been a shortage of affordable, decent housing. And for over 100 years, after slavery has ended, government policies still excluded African-Americans from housing opportunities.
It's urgent that the United States recognizes that housing is a Human Right! We strongly believe that everyone deserves to have a home, where no one should have to pay more than 30% of their income for housing.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave more Californians struggling to pay rent and buy basic necessities like food. Although we have won the Cancation of Rent through SB 91, there are still thousands of tenants that are falling through the cracks. That is why we are continuing to take action and close the loopholes to keep tenants protected. Here are a few next steps to reach our Housing Justice Goals:
Close the Loopholes and Fix SB 91!
Cancel Unpaid Rent and Mortgage Payments for Low and Moderate Income People During the COVID-19 Crisis
Millions of Californians have lost income or incurred unexpected expenses because of the COVID-19 crisis and its effects, and have no way to catch up on payments. Californians do not deserve to rack up thousands of dollars in debt in order to stay housed. The big banks and many large corporate landlords have received millions of dollars in federal stimulus money, but have not passed those savings on to low income and working families.
Although many tenants are protected under SB 91- Covid 19 Tenant Protections which provides for rental assistance, there are still many loopholes where people can be evicted from their homes. We urge you to contact key legislators to close the following loopholes:
- LEAVE NO RENTER BEHIND: All eligible tenants and landlords should get 100% relief for rent and utility debt incurred due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small landlords need relief & all renters deserve rent and utility debt forgiveness.
- EXTEND EXISTING EVICTION PROTECTION BEYOND JUNE: The most vital protections must remain in place until the economy of California has properly recovered from the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
- SECURE LASTING PROTECTION FROM LONG-TERM CREDIT IMPACT: California was already facing a serious housing crisis before the pandemic. Without protection against long-term negative credit impact, we risk trapping tenants in years of financial fallout, impeding the state’s economic recovery.
Urge your legislators to close the eviction loopholes now and win rent forgiveness for all!