A tidal wave of evictions is coming, as all levels of government have failed to pass real, comprehensive protections for tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why DSA-LA has endorsed AB 1436, the COVID-19 Eviction Prevention and Housing Stability Act. This bill would protect renters from being evicted because of their inability to pay rent due to COVID-related loss of income. The goal is to keep millions of renters housed, especially Black and Brown tenants who have been disproportionately hit by COVID-19 and are more likely to be rent-burdened than any other community. While the bill does not address everything DSA-LA would like, it would give tenants and organizers a year to work on additional housing goals — buying us time to organize for bigger demands like rent cancellation, rent rollbacks, collective bargaining, and a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.

The bill provides that:

• Tenants cannot be evicted due to unpaid rent accrued during the COVID-19 emergency and for 90 days following the emergency (or until April 1, 2021, whichever is earlier).
• Gives tenants 15 months from the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration to pay in full or arrange for voluntary repayment;
• Protects renters from negative impacts to credit and their ability to rent in the future.
• Allows tenants and landlords to make voluntary repayment arrangements, but the renter cannot owe more than the unpaid rent due from the COVID-19 period, and the landlord must account for any assistance they have received;
• If landlords try to evict, tenants have 30 days to respond, instead of the current 5 days.

Click here for the full fact sheet on the bill.