Days before the state’s eviction moratorium was set to expire, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced “new and improved” rent relief and protections on Friday.
The new tenant protections extend the eviction moratorium until Sept. 30 and provide “anyone impacted by COVID-19” with 100 percent of back rent from April 2020, including water and electricity, until Sept. 30.
Newsom said changes have been made to make the application process more efficient and culturally competent, some of the main concerns from tenants and advocates.
The application was also only available online and often took applicants hours to complete, both of which are resolved, Newsom said.
“Now, most folks are able to get the application done in a more culturally competent way, with more assistance support from (community-based organization) partners,” Newsom said.
There are also additional in-person opportunities and with the new updates, applications could be finished within an hour, Newsom said.
Another big change is that landlords do not need to sign onto the application process for renters to get 100 percent of rent back.
This was a big concern for tenants, especially those with contentious relations with landlords, because without landlord sign-on, tenants could only get 80 percent of their rent paid by the state.
The extended protections come with an increased price tag, allowing more residents to apply for the program.
An additional $2.6 billion was allocated for rent relief, bringing the state’s total investment to $5.2 billion, according to the governor’s office.
The move was celebrated by tenant advocates and many local leaders, but not all are happy.
The California Rental and Housing Association, a group representing the rental housing industry, said the eviction moratorium caused “irreparable harm.”
“The new budget deal continues that harm by extending the moratorium,” said Christine LaMarca, president of the California Rental Housing Association. “While there is some recognition of this distress in the deal by providing 100 percent in rent assistance and requirements for the tenants to use the funds to pay rent, we are very concerned as to when this moratorium will actually end.”
The renewed tenant protections come at the heels of the state’s biggest investment to tackle homelessness in California history.
Newsom said his $12 billion proposal is laid out in the budget and poised for approval on Monday.
With the $12 billion, Newsom seeks to provide 300,000 residents with housing security, 65,000 people with housing placements and create 46,000 new housing sites. He also hopes to eradicate family homelessness in the next five years.
About $8.75 billion of the investment will be doled out over two years to create the new housing sites and “expand on the success” of Project Homekey, Newsom said.
Project Homekey was a multimillion-dollar investment by the state during the pandemic to local entities that created 6,000 affordable housing units. Cities and counties used the money to buy old motels and other buildings to convert them into housing sites.
He’s trying to buy more votes! I’m still wondering where that $600 stimulus that he promised is? He tried to buy votes with that one but doesn’t look like you sent the money out yet. He needs to go!
He is ruining the state! Look at the EDD mess, he killed the economy with his shutdowns. I still can’t believe he banned people from going to the beach. Crime is out of control and getting worse because the governor’s releasing thousands of criminals more from jail. He needs to go! Like Kamala Harris is a danger to our Republic! (Thank goodness people are finally seeing through her)
while he went to the french laundry, with the state dept of health people, all of which knew the rules and broken them anyway while he stopped others from doing anything fun.
~❤️~
We need student loan payments covered next!
Forgiveness for everyone! Forgiveness for all!!!
How about my car payment? I deserve to have the state pay that off, too. I mean, I did borrow the money and agree to pay it back, and I have been working continuously throughout the pandemic, but I just don’t feel like making the payments now that I have the car, so I think somebody else should make them for me.
@ Steve
I agree. And, I should get reimbursed for my house payments and utility payments I’ve made! After all, I shouldn’t be left out of the handouts just because I had to go to work every day as an “essential worker”
Steve, In that case I’d like to be reimbursed for the student loan I paid back in the sixties. After all, we had the yearly flu to contend with back then and no yearly flu shots for protection. When you were off work sick in those days, they docked your pay if you didn’t have sick leave. You think things are bad now?
Gittyup you should probably get the refund from the school and not from the state, considering that they taught you that slavery was just a form of employment.
BTW the first influenza vaccines were licensed in 1945 for military use and in 1946 for civilian use.
JWB, I will no longer be replying to your drivel.
JWB, I will say this much, the year after I graduated from college, the Black Student Union demanded and got a Black Studies Curriculum at California State University, Hayward. The Black Student Union would not allow white students to attend the Black Studies classes, not that I was the least bit interested. “You reap what you sew.”
And, this. You can thank me for the first influenza vaccines. My father was in the military and they “tested” a lot of stuff on us.
Who’s going to pay for it? Money doesn’t grow on trees.
You and I are paying for it. I hope there are some type of qualifiers to get excused for their rent.
What would your plan be?
What does “Culturally Competent” mean.
That phrase just use several times in describing the application process.
What does it mean??
I got it: the term means that the application is understandable for all cultures. ie: it had to be dumbed down so anyone from anywhere and any illiterate can understand it.
I love the way the left comes up with these fake titles. Another example is ‘social justice’ which is code word for letting all the criminals out of jail. Remember proposition 47? That was named the “Safe neighborhoods and schools act” . It legalized crime up to $950 with no jail time. Obviously does not made our neighborhoods and schools any safer but more dangerous.
Culturally Competent is a racist claim. The fact that Americans are included in this is proof. I blame gangster culture for this stupid and ridiculous misnomer. Generations of drug and child abuse is what happened. Some might think it was ignorance. Wrong! It was culturally cultivated. The rioting, burning, looting and murder are the result.
Of course Newsom will use this tool. Because he IS a tool. Pelosi’s boy. Recall Newsom!
“Culturally Competent”. What a demeaning term.
Gavin Newsom puts the di** in dictator.
Recall Newsom. Full stop.
More vote buying.
He is out there buying votes with our money as fast as he can.
An act of desperation by the power hungry silver-spoon fed actor.
isnt it illegal to buy votes with our tax money
if not this is definitely the precedent
now wonder why he pushed for continued emergency powers
again should be illegal as well
as is being governor and giving your own winery multiple million dollar ppp loans
well grants for him actually
conflict of interest much
i wonder if he banged willie brown as well
again why are dem voters voting for these people
or are they???
audit every vote
recall the scum
and put his aunt in jail
then we can get to work
on weekend at muppet binbidens
staring iraq oscama as the puppeteer
seriously dem voters should be in hiding
wow so create a bum problem by placing illegals in affordable housing and denying america citizens
then tell us you with billions of dollars of our money
are going into the hotel business
The renewed tenant protections come at the heels of the state’s biggest investment to tackle homelessness in California history.
yeah recall this tool and take back the state from corrupt dems and their illegals
they claim we have to have here
or there will be no fast food or clean homes or manicured lawns
so yes american citizens and their children have to be on the street in favor of housing illegals and supporting them
again how does a dem voter respect their actions
this state has been run by dems for 50 years
this is all ok
this state is ok with you
we now have to live with urin soaked seats on public transit as unions keep getting more money for providing less
this is acceptable
I guess ca overtaxed its citizens and now the tax surplus is distributed through social welfare ($600 stimulus from ca, paying back rent, ect). Anyway thank you newsome for paying my back rent because I was out of a job.
Now they’re making things “culturally competent”; because, nothing says your not a racist like dumbing things down for those races who’s rights would be utterly crippled if they had to be able to get a government issued ID.
The way we treat people must be a function of their race (and our generalized notions of what members of that other race are like), so that way they know that we don’t think they are defined by their race.
Any racial minority can do anything that a racial majority can do… As long as we, the mighty members of the racial majority, make sure to save them from being treated like they’re just some human being whose race is not factored into things.
Mustn’t be so reckless as to jump right into judging them by the content of their character until we have adjusted for the color of their skin.
See how woke and virtuous I am? Good! Now get out there and vote for me.
Like many have said he is just vote buying. We need to RECALL Governor Newsone.
Whoa! What about me?
I want free money too!
Well, maybe not “free”…. I could help the Governor out on recall election day with sorting which votes to be counted or maybe giving poll watchers the bum’s rush… covering windows… you know, the new normal election stuff.
Oh, c’mon…he can be more progressive than that. I say he extend it to at least the end of this year. After all, this pandemic has been so horrible. Our family is the only remaining family on our street. Everyone else has past away from COVID. God bless our Gov.
Plenty of jobs for people to pay their own rent. More coddling by Dems. This is the introduction to permanent free rent paid by taxpayers.
Will Californians ever wake up and vote no on all new taxes?
And with those two words gavin has completely exposed himself as the racist that he’s is. “Culturally competent” is the absolute most racist thing I have ever heard in my life. Coming from a privileged white male it seethes of “my culture is smarter then others, we need to dumb everything down so the peasants understand” How utterly disgusting to have this racist, bigoted, lowlife greaseball anywhere close to power in our beautiful state. The time to recall is now. We can’t have this type of human or his suck ups controlling the lives of 40 million people. This is tyranny. I’m sorry to all the people he is directing this at. This is a perfect example of actual “white supremacy” impacting all Californians. So sad
It is unfair for the state government to set a “culturally competent” standard but not tell us what that is. Are you culturally competent? Are there workshops? Will this be on your driver’s license like needing glasses?
All of these new and renewed relief programs are soon to become permanent entitlement programs.
Just like temporary taxes, there is no such thing as a temporary entitlement.
How will working people’s taxes be increased to pay all of these state entitlement?
Oh, the money is from the Federal Government?
LOL.
+1
This is how government does rent control .
With all of the money what’s his name is spending the state could be flooded in desalinated water.
.
In other words, a bailout.
.
“California Democrats again seek to alter recall laws”, published by NBC.
Gavin won’t play unless he can stack the deck. What an absolute soulless human. He should be running crooked bingo down at the old folks home.
And for anyone who considers voting to keep him, are you really sure you want:
Thousands of felons released from prison early?
Continued soft dollars for soft on crime DA’s
To fund Medicaid for illegal immigrants?
To fund $2Billion to hide homeless in hotels rather than helping them?
Increased taxes for folly projects that won’t benefit citizens?
A Governor who milks emergencies to manipulate laws to fit his agenda?
As his slogan says, “He’s just getting started”.
Imagine his wrath if he stays in office.
Recall Newsom if you care about your heirs.
It’s always the same with Democrat Socialists…. if you can’t win fairly, change the rules.
Hey Gavin, could you cover my mortgage & property taxes? I guess I don’t qualify because I work for a living. People are being paid more on unemployment than when they were working. Their rent & food are covered. How about utilities? Must be. This is absurd. Employers can’t fill jobs because the unemployed have it too good. This needs to stop.
Marxism is making a comeback and the country is being lulled to sleep. If you are a little liberal you had better wake up. If you are not a liberal you better start fighting.
OK Ricardoh….you have inspired me.
I’m not a liberal, so where do I start fighting and how?
What exactly can I do to “fight”.
Please don’t say “Vote” that doesn’t work anymore – fraud has rendered it useless.
Dr Jelly you are fighting by writing online for one. Don’t know your age but school board meetings and public city meetings are places to express your opinion. Having the proper argument is important. Educate yourself to the Marxist agenda. Don’t make light of the subject. We have a choice, either make your opinion known or lose. If you have children don’t send them to liberal schools because they will come out liberal.
Ricardoh, if Jellyfinger is as disappointed as I am at this stark shift in the political landscape, sarcasm and humor are the only way we can deal with it. I, for one, am completely overwhelmed by the dark reality that socialism has taken such a giant leap forward in California under the guise of scary flu, and the autocratic musings of a Governor who does as he pleases with no regard for the welfare of his constituents.
Gittyup sarcasm and humor are OK but it will take more. Your Children and Grandchildren’s quality of life depends on it. The left is not slowing down it is speeding up. Everyday demented Joe and his screwed up handlers are going farther. Don’t give up.
Gittyup gets it…. but I’m talking about something that makes a real difference.
Yelling “I’m upset” at a crowded meeting or holding a sign on an overpass is just a waste of time.
How long are we going to put up with this BS?
You didn’t read what I wrote. So you passed over it with your own idea.
Ricardoh, I’m banned on most Bay Area comment sections! I’m also too old and tired to be considered a “radical.” I’ll have to grin and bear it until everyone who elected these dingbats realize what they’ve done, and I do believe that day is not far off.
No more handouts. No one should get this for nothing. Make them earn it. There is trash every where. Put them to work. You want rent money? Get to work.
Exactly ! this state is turning peeps into DIRTBAGS !
Who said you can’t buy elections anymore? Gavin is so corrupt that Al Capone would blush if he was pulling these stunts!
Make deadbeats work for the money they get from the taxpayers should happen. However, here in California that be harassment, racism and hostility.
At least he’s running true to form. Newsom has absolutely no regard for taxpayer’s hard-earned money. As Lt. Governor, Gavin Newsom was charged with attending meetings of the Regents of the University of California representing the interests of taxpayers in matters of budgeting and policy. He found the meetings boring and simply didn’t attend and so stated publicly on a number of occasions. As a result, California taxpayers had no one looking out for their interests while Newsom was Lt. Governor. It was later discovered on some campuses that budgets had been squandered and slush funds created to finance questionable staff expenditures. This is how he views critical matters of finance and budgeting … not at all, it would appear.
He’s Feckless and Reckless!
speaking gutless, lying, cowards, Gavin now has an ad campaign touting him spending other people’s money to buy votes.
only in Kalifornia could this happen, and go unpunished…
Was thinking democratic, but they are turning it into a socialist state.
No more investing from me. they will tax the income, gains, dividends, no allowance for inflation,etc. Now they want to charge a “death tax” which will affect your heirs. Already fed up with this present government. Trump is a fool, but at least I had the the ability to plan an estate which I earned and already paid multiple taxes.
A chicken in every pot! Changing my party affiliation. Just no Trump!
Hate to see the path this country is going.