What Kern County residents should know about the evictions protections

What Kern County residents should know about the evictions protections

FOR HOUSING ANDHOUSING ASSISTANCE IN ITSCOMMUNITIES.

THE PANDEMICHAS ONLY EXACERBATED THATPROBLEM BUT HERE'S HOWYOU CAN GET SOME HELP.IT BEGAN THIS WEEK WITHCALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVINNEWSOM SIGNING LEGISLATION,SAYING THAT IF A TENANT ISFACINGA COVID-19 RELATED HARDSHIP,THEY CANNOT BEEVICTED FROM THEIR HOME BEFOREFEBRUARY 21,2021.

TENANTS ALSO MUST PAY ATLEAST 25 PERCENT OFTHEIR RENT NOW THROUGH JANUARY31, 2021, UNDER THE NEWLAW.EVENTUALLY RENTERS WILL BE ONTHE HOOK FOR THE ENTIRE BILL,BECAUSE THE REMAINING BALANCEWILL CONVERT TO CIVILDEBT, BUT MAY NOT BE USED ASGROUNDS FOR EVICTION,ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNOR.BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THE HELPTHAT'S OUT THERE.

THE CITYOF BAKERSFIELD NEXT WEEK ISEXPECTED TO ANNOUNCEDETAILS OF A 5-MILLION-DOLLARPROGRAM THAT WILL WORK INTANDEM WITH THE GOVERNOR'S TOPROVIDE RESIDENTS WITHRENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.THE $5 MILLIONDOLLARS WAS ALLOCATED FROM THECARES ACT.

THE BAKERSFIELDCITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TELLING23ABC IN A STATEMENT:"WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO WORKWITH THE KERN HOUSINGAUTHORITY TO FINALIZE DETAILS OFTHIS PROGRAM; ANDANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD WITHAN AGREEMENT FORTHE SEPTEMBER 9 CITY COUNCILMEETING."BAKERSFIELD ISN'T THE ONLY CITYTHAT'S IMPOSED ITS OWNEVICTION PROTECTIONS...DE LANOIN MARCH PLACING A MORATORIUM ONALL EVICTIONS."OUR MORATORIUM WASN'T ASEXTENSIVE AS THIS STATE LAW."DELANO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BRYANOSORIO SAYING ALTHOUGHTHE STATE'S LAW DOES A LOT TOPROTECT CALIFORNIANS,LIKE EXTENDING ANTI- FORECLOSUREPROTECTIONSFOR SMALL LANDLORDS, HE WISHESIT HAD GONE A BIT EASIERON TENANTS."SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT THE MOREEFFECTIVE APPROACH WOULD BE TOFREEZERENT, I KNOW THAT SOME OF MYCOLLEAGUES HAVE ISSUES WITHTHAT, ASWELL AS SOME LANDLORDS."OSORIO SAYS HE IS UNSURE WHETHERTHE STATE'S NEW LAWWOULD OVERRIDE DELANO'SMORATORIUM.

HE SAYS THE COUNCILWILL MEET TO DISCUSS THAT.AND FINALLY THE CITY OFBAKERSFIELD ALSO MENTIONEDTO ME THAT THEY'VE GIVEN OUT 10MILLION DOLLARS INBUSINESS LOANS FROM THE CARESACT AS WELL.

ON TOP OF THATTHEY'VE ALSO ALLOCATED ANOTHER10 MILLION DOLLARSTOWARD AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR