SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom said the state will pay off all past due rent that accumulated in California due to the COVID pandemic. California has a $5.2 billion pitch, which should be more than enough to cover the unpaid rent statewide.
Newsom has proposed using federal coronavirus aid to pay off all of the unpaid rent that people owe. But it will take time to distribute that money.
A lot of landlords and people who pay their rent consistently on time said these rent protections are not fair because these were meant for an emergency and not to be so permanent. However, some Californians said they are stuck in poverty and need more time to get on their feet.
On a county level, San Diego County has its own COVID-19 Emergency Rent and Utilities Assistance Program. Some other California counties do as well.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the goal is to not have anyone slip into homelessness, which as we know is a big problem in our county.
"The pandemic has affected all of our lives. It's also affected our unsheltered population, where for over a year we have not been able to have our shelters fully open because of social distancing requirements. And many of our providers who run those shelters have been impacted by the same workforce issues we've seen impact restaurants, retailers and elsewhere,” Gloria said.
Some tenant advocacy groups want the state to extend eviction protections until the unemployment rate for low-wage workers reaches pre-pandemic levels. But the California Apartment Association says landlords can't afford to wait much longer because many have gone without rent checks for more than a year.
Governor Newsom and lawmakers are negotiating whether to extend the state's ban on evictions for unpaid rent. Federal and California eviction protections expire on June 30.