Some Oakland officials have talked about beginning to phase out the moratorium soon, likely in small steps. Any suspected fraud in connection with the Alameda County Housing Secure Program should be reported for immediate review. Landlords can again take tenants to court for failing to pay rent, although tenants with pending aid applications with the state can be protected through next month. OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland City Council early Wednesday morning made a decision toward ending the city's moratorium on evictions. Thank you for supporting The Oaklandside and being a part of our community. County supervisors and a county attorney did not return messages Thursday seeking comment. Oaklands moratorium went into effect on March 27, 2020, banning most evictions shortly after the local COVID-19 lockdown began. WebAlameda County remains on an island with a draconian eviction moratorium that may have made sense at the outset of the pandemic but makes little sense now. It essentially bans all evictions, either for nonpayment or other reasons, to keep renters from being displaced during the health crisis. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Tenants with unpaid rents accumulated during the moratorium may not be evicted for such unpaid rents but landlords may still pursue unpaid rent in small claims court. ALAMEDA CITY HALL LAWN CONVERSION PROJECT, No. This story contains reporting from KQEDs Rachel Vasquez and Carly Severn. The Alameda County eviction moratorium prohibits most evictions in Alameda County and will end 60 days after the Public Health Emergency Order ends. For resources available to tenants and landlords in Alameda County, including free legal services for lower-income tenants and homeowners, visit Alameda County Housing Secure. On March 31, 2022, AB 2179 was enacted, which extends by three more months the statewide eviction protection fortenants in Covid-related rent assistance programs. Its a little odd, at this stage in the pandemic, to have an ordinance with no end date, she said. To learn more or apply, go to RenewAC.org, or contact Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley at (510) 803-3388 or HomeRepair@HabitatEBSC.org. At 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, Alameda Countys eviction moratorium expired. As long as a tenant is still living in their apartment, they can contest or overturn an eviction by showing that they were approved for rental assistance and with the rental assistance and their own funds (if needed) can pay all of the rent owed. Madison Park came under fire earlier in the pandemic for issuing 150 eviction notices for non-payment while the moratorium was in place, though it was during a period of confusion around the requirements of the state law. For instance, if you violated your lease by moving someone into your home without permission from your landlord, or destroyed property, or violated the lease in some other way, she said. <> Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Please contact Rico Fenix at the Alameda City Attorney's Office by phone at 510-747-4775 or by email atrfenix@alamedacityattorney.org. "cgy(2yoF?x~'`op8+8>W(]>`oolo}]~A(F4OXJ` LI!^c.JHY-3*`B|}l6C?547,=0CgC[vAf=xju_X50 VVt,?s(+8&)%K%ZpE:>|]4\~?5o[6O Kdk~0B&UKzJI*Lip`f9@by>j~\ls \f~Zc3gkxxy The Board of Supervisors has not discussed ending the Public Health Emergency Order and has not scheduled this discussion yet. However, if a tenant violated their lease in another way, the landlord will be able to begin an eviction process.. The 2022-23 budget included the $40 million base allocation for the EAF, as well as funding for specific uses, including $30 million for eviction protection and $15 million for consumer debt cases. A donation to The Oaklandside goes beyond the newsroom. In the meantime, we are deploying almost $5 million in emergency foreclosure prevention money to landlords, said Starratt. The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. As for local law, the City Council has adopted a number of tenant protections that expire a specified number of days after the City Council lifts the local emergency. Its really important that you respond because if you dont, you wont actually have any protections, she said. This means that starting Sunday, April 30, tens of thousands of Alameda County residents must pay rent for the first time in three years. Attorney General Bonta provides the following information to help Californians understand the New tenants moved into the house in January 2020, and have yet to pay rent, the suit said. HCD maintains and expands housing opportunities for low--and moderate--income persons and families in the county by: Alameda County and Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley are launching Renew Alameda County, a home improvement loan assistance program designed to allow low-income homeowners to remain safely in their homes by providing rehabilitation and accessibility improvement services and loan financing to cover the associated costs. The Alameda County eviction moratorium prohibits most evictions in Alameda County and will end 60 days after the Public Health Emergency Order ends. Alameda County's commercial eviction moratorium demonstrates the importance that landlords and tenants understand all applicable local eviction moratorium. Alameda County landlords have felt stifled by the broad local protections, which have allowed some tenants to live rent-free even when they have not lost income or fallen ill to the virus. Q: When must regular rent payments resume?A: Residential tenants need to resume their regular rent payments on October 1, 2021. Theyre not considered low-income and they didnt pay their rent during COVID, and that is a problem.. WebOn July 7, 2022, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ordered all application denials immediately stop, and any rejected applications issued in the last 30 PW 05-19-26, RFP: Chuck Corica Golf Course Parking Lot Improvements, Preparation of Eng Docs for Upgrade of Sewer Pump Stations, Group 5, RFP for FY 2020 Sign & Striping Maintenance, PW No. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. This means that tenants are expect to pay monthly rent on May 1, 2023. OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland City Council early Wednesday morning made a decision toward ending the city's moratorium on evictions. | Eastmont Mall's history | OUSD union negotiations | We're now publishing free obituaries. Prior to joining the organization, he was an investigative reporter at The Virginian-Pilot, where he covered state government, the military and criminal justice. The landlords who filed the lawsuit have asked Beeler to rule in their favor without having to proceed to trial, through a process known as summary judgment. Although Alameda County no longer has an eviction on moratoriums, some cities within the county like Oakland and Berkeley maintain separate eviction policies. At the conclusion of Thursdays court hearing Beeler said she will take their arguments into consideration and issue a decision soon. (510) 747-7400 Im one of the lucky few, but so many people I know have been affected by eviction threats and illegal rent increases, Oakland tenant Annemarie Garcia told The Oaklandside. Tenants with lower income who have not paid their rent and who still have outstanding rent, even if they got some of it paid by rental assistance, need to come up with a payment plan with their landlord and identify some ways to start making payments, she said. If you value what you get from The Oaklandside, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. We looked very closely at what was happening in surrounding communities like Contra Costa and Santa Clara County when their eviction moratoriums ended last fall, she said. It could drop a bomb on rent control, Zinn said. If you have more questions about conflicts in state and local law, please consult your own attorney. The Alameda County ban allows a few narrow exceptions, including for the health and safety of tenants and the removal of a property from the rental market. Natalie Orenstein covers housing and homelessness for The Oaklandside. Q: Are there new limits on evictions for nonpayment of rent, after October 1, 2021?A:Yes. The federal eviction moratorium was in place until August 2021, and the states eviction protections ended in June 2022. Bay Area Legal Aid, Centro Legal de la Raza, East Bay Community Law Center, Eviction Defense Center, Legal Assistance for Seniors, and Housing and Economic Rights Advocates provide free legal services to low-income tenants and homeowners disproportionately impacted by the regions housing affordability crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Alameda / Berkeley / Oakland. Thank you. He's won national awards for his investigations and feature stories. I think we are going to see a lot of displacement, and this is going to affect lower-income community members more than those with higher incomes, said Michelle Starratt, housing director for Alameda County. Lawyers for Oakland and Alameda County warned the judge that a ruling accepting the landlords legal interpretation could have widespread and unintended consequences for other, unrelated housing laws. ACCE members rallied outside the courthouse before the hearing, talking about the challenges theyve faced during the crisis and with unsympathetic or abusive landlords. Legal evictions may proceed starting on April 30, 2023 and tenants who do not pay rent from April 30th onward may be at risk of eviction. This covers 100% of past rent owed on or after April 1, 2020. Peninsula landlord charged with discriminating against family with young children Q: Can the landlord shut off my utilities?A:The City Council has barred landlords from shutting off utilities, except in case of an emergency or as part of an "essential activity" under the shelter-in-place order; and then, only for the shortest time necessary. If you are a tenant at risk of eviction or displacement, you may qualify for legal services under AC Housing Secure. This program is funded by the voter-approved Measure A1 Affordable Housing Bond. Thousands of tenants in Oakland and across Alameda County will be rendered homeless if it is ended. Our local governments took the steps needed to keep us safe, said ACCE lawyer Jackie Zaneri, calling the lawsuit a threat to all moratoriums everywhere. The stress has caused Tripti Jain major anxiety and emotional distress, including panic attacks, and causing her to require occasional medication to treat the effects of the stress and anxiety, the suit said. Williams, the duplex owner, got emotional talking with The Oaklandside, recounting how his 10-year tenant hasnt paid rent since the beginning of the pandemic and owes him $50,000. To learn more about your rights and apply for representation, contact them using. Both California's and Alameda County's COVID-19 health emergencies ended on February 28, 2023. WebFor unpaid rent between March 1, 2020, and November 17, 2022, local rental protections provide that tenants have an affirmative defense to an eviction action if the non-payment Also, noticesdemanding rent must contain a notice of tenant rights and how to apply for rent relief. They claim that tenants who are allowed to stay in their apartments without paying rent are effectively being permitted by the government to trespass. At 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, Alameda Countys eviction moratorium expired. All rights reserved. Landlords sue Alameda County over eviction ban, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Total dominance: Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, How renters will be protected when Oaklands eviction ban ends in July, In Oakland, its landlords who are unhappy with a plan to end eviction ban, California apartment vacancies near 2-year high as rents slip 3.5% from peak, Peninsula landlord charged with discriminating against family with young children, Letters: Lockdowns role | Reshaping charges | Reparations deserved | Reject dividers | Racist tropes.

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