SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - Time is running out for tenants behind on rent payments.
They must apply for the state's COVID-19 Rent Relief Program by Thursday to avoid being evicted.
“It's a sad day when our state government fails the 17 million tenants across the state in this way, especially in San Francisco,” Supervisor Dean Preston said.
Tenants behind on rent across the Bay Area could face eviction on Friday if they don't apply for the rent relief program. Eviction protections are set to expire on March 31st.
Shanti Singh with tenants together explains that under those protections, tenants cannot be evicted as long as they have an application pending for rental assistance.
“There will be some protections as long as you are in the program so even if your application hasn't been processed yet, we're telling people to get into the system,” Singh said.
However, Singh and some leaders like San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston, say the state isn't giving people enough time to make that deadline.
“Probably the worst part of the state law is not only do they refuse to extend the deadline beyond March 31st so more people can get their claims in, they also try to preempt San Francisco and other cities from taking action to protect tenants,” Preston said.
Something Preston says the city already did.
“We passed a law at the Board of Supervisors. Now it's unclear if that will be able to take effect because of this state law and the state preemption. I will say on a positive note that city leaders in San Francisco have come together through the budget process, through Prop I, the ballot measure that passed, through Prop C, the ballot measure that passed in 2018, and put together right now at $62 million that is available for additional rent relief so even after the state program ends, there's consider money at the city level to try and get some of this back rent paid,” Preston said.
New legislation being rushed through the state government right now would provide protections for an additional three months.
The full state senate is expected to vote on the new bill on Thursday. If passed, it would be sent to the governor for his signature.
To apply and ensure you make that deadline, head to housingiskey.com.
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