California legislators extend eviction moratorium to June 30.

Any tenant behind on the rent due to the pandemic who's been worried about getting evicted after Jan. 31 now has five more months to remain in their homes.

That's because today the California Legislature passed an extension of a previous eviction moratorium, Assembly Bill 3088, pushing the deadline to June 30. 

Under the original bill passed last August, renters could remain as long as they paid 25 percent of any back rent from the period of March 1, 2020-Jan. 31, 2021. Landlords could take their tenants to small claims court for the remaining amount beginning March 1.

Today legislators approved a rider to a budget bill that contained the moratorium extension provisions stating that renters must pay at least 25 percent, either by paying 25 percent of the rent due each month or in a lump sum by June 20. Renters must attest to being negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The legislators also created a State Rental Assistance Program with $2.6 billion coming to California from $25 billion approved by Congress in December specifically for rental assistance. Of the $2.6 million, $1.1 billion will go to counties and cities with populations above 200,000. The remaining $1.5 billion will be distributed to smaller jurisdictions.

The money will be used to compensate small property owners who rent to low-income tenants for up to 80 percent of the unpaid rent from the period of April 2020 through March 2021. The owners must agree to forgive 20 percent and they must not pursue an eviction. If they don't agree to forgive 20 percent, the state will pay only 25 percent. Landlords would have to go to small claims court for the rest.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the budget bill passed today by Jan. 31. 

There were two bills under consideration for extending the moratorium, AB 15 which would have extend the moratorium to Dec. 31, and Senate Bill 3, which extended the moratorium to March 31. A compromise was worked out between competing lobbyist groups to end the moratorium on June 30.

On Tuesday, Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, who co-authored SB 3, issued a statement supporting the compromise.

"It is a privilege to fight to ensure families remain housed during this public health crisis. After months of work negotiating with stakeholders and leadership in both houses, I am pleased to support the current eviction moratorium proposal," she said in a press release.

"I believe it reflects a broad range of interests and protects vulnerable tenants from eviction and gets cash into the hands of small mom and pop landlords who have been struggling without their rental income."

A budget rider bill was used because it only required a majority vote. A new stand alone bill would have required a two-thirds vote in order to take effect in just a few days. Today's vote was unanimous in the Senate, and the Assembly voted 71-1, Assemblymember Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, voting no.