Deadline of August 1 Raises Concerns of a Homelessness Spike
By Dolores Quintana
Tenants residing in Los Angeles are bracing for the possibility of eviction due to unpaid rent accumulated during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. While L.A. has implemented COVID-19 regulations to protect renters against eviction due to pandemic-related debts, it’s crucial to note that rent was never waived; it was only deferred. Consequently, landlords have expressed ongoing financial challenges stemming from unpaid rent.
The deadline for these repayments is today. Tenants are expected to settle all outstanding rent accumulated between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Failure to pay these accrued debts in full could lead to eviction proceedings. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has expressed concerns about the approaching deadline, fearing a potential surge in homelessness. Bass and Nithya Raman have assembled a directory of information that could help renters who cannot meet this deadline here.
Los Angeles City renter’s protections stipulate that “Tenants who followed certain protections under state law cannot be evicted for the past due rent. If one of the below applies, the landlord can collect the rental arrears in Court as consumer debt but cannot evict the tenant for this debt:
- The tenant provided their landlord a Declaration of COVID-19 hardship form within 15 days of rent due for rent owed from March 1, 2020, through August 2020.
- The tenant provided their landlord a Declaration of COVID-19 hardship AND paid 25% of their rent for rent owed from September 1, 2020, through September 20, 2021
Eviction filings have steadily risen across L.A. County for several months, and landlord advocates anticipate more cases after the pandemic rent debt protections expire. Eviction attorney Dennis Block believes that COVID-19 restrictions have unfairly hindered many of his clients from addressing debts, some extending back over three years.
Renters and tenant advocates are worried about this deadline. Some tenants still applied for the state’s COVID-19 rent relief program when it was taking applications but have yet to receive the promised aid. This could mean that a large number of tenants without the means to repay large rental debts might be forced into eviction court to face landlords who have legal representation. In a time when the homeless population is rising, and affordable housing is in short supply, there is no way to predict what may happen.
Camera operator Cesar Alvarez of Highland Park, as quoted by the LAist, said, ‘It’s going to lead to a wave of massive evictions. It’s going to lead to a wave of massive homelessness. If you think it’s bad now, just give it three more months.
