KEITH DELAWDER Contributor It was only two months ago when we all collectively braced ourselves, hoping that the worst of the COVID-19 crisis was behind us. We saw the shelter in place orders relax, business start to reopen, and more people slowly start to go back to work as the number of reported cases were seemingly on the decline. But as we now know, that moment was painfully short-lived. In the time that’s passed since midMay, the exact opposite of progress has happened with one in five Angelinos currently out of work and the number of positive cases and deaths resulting from the virus hitting record highs almost weekly. To top it all off, the limited protections set by the federal government have recently expired. In March the U.S. House of Representatives passed the largest economic bill in U.S. history- the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which was signed by president Trump into law. The massive $2.2 trillion package came as relief in many forms including $1,200 assistance checks for all Americans whose income was less than $99,000, assistance for small businesses, and assistance for state, local and tribal governments. The bill also included an additional $600 weekly benefit for anyone receiving unemployment as a result of the crisis which has helped over 25 million out of work Americans stay afloat. Like many of the programs in the CARES Act, the $600 weekly benefit has now expired along with the CARES Act moratorium on evictions for specific government subsidized housing which are home to roughly 43 million Americans, representing 28% of all renters. In its place Senate Republicans have proposed the so-called “HEALS Act” which calls for reducing the $600 weekly benefit down to $200 until October, at which point states will have to shift to a system where combined state and federal benefits replace up to 70% of a worker’s prior pay. Notably, no protections for renters are included in the HEALS Act. Both parties are currently in negotiations over the HEALS Act, as
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Democrats have found many of the measures in the proposal unacceptable. With millions of Americans reliant on unemployment payments to make ends meet-- and not to mention the thousands of Californians stuck in limbo, waiting for their unemployment claim to make its way through the exhausted system-- and eviction protections either non-existent or variable to state and local ordinances, the potential for a humanitarian crisis comparable to the great depression is closer than we’ve seen in generations. An estimated 28 million renters in the U.S. are facing evictions over the next three months, as states begin lifting their COVID-19 related eviction moratoriums. While Congress drags its feet back to the discussion table-- deadlocked in negotiations on if and how to renew aid benefits-- millions of Americans are going to bed each night unsure if they will have a roof over their heads next month. So, what is California doing about this potential eviction catastrophe? In early July, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that gave local governments the authority to halt renter evictions through September 30th. The moratorium will expire 90 days after Gov. Newsom declares the end of the state of emergency. In Los Angeles, the County Board of Supervisors and City Hall followed suit, each approving their own extension of the temporary eviction moratorium through the end of September which may be extended on a month to month basis. So, what should you do if you’re one of the many tenants in Los Angeles County that find themselves in a position where they can’t pay the rent due to the pandemic? “In general, there are two very important things for people to do if they can’t pay their rent,” says Ryan Kendall, staff attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles in the Eviction Defense-Inglewood workgroup. “First, notify your landlord-- and preferably in writing-- as soon as you’re aware that you are not going to be able to pay because of COVID.
With the current massive unemployment rates and limited government aid-- when the moratorium lifts, we can expect a massive eviction crisis. “If we allow the evictions to simply start again without any long-term assistance, it’s going to have a devastating effect on renters, and in particular, communities of color.