California senator asked to back AB 1436, which would give them a break with rent payments
About a dozen activists and residents affected by the coronavirus health crisis arrived in Encino on Friday to gather outside the home of California Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg, (D-Van Nuys) to ask to support tenants.
Activists at ACCE Action, which organized the protest, said the pandemic has left many workers vulnerable, whose working hours decreased or who simply lost their jobs.
To this, added – they indicated – the harassment of their tenants to pay the rent.
For this reason, they asked Senator Hertzberg to support and lead Bill AB 1436, which would stop evictions due to COVID-19 while providing an opportunity for tenants and tenants to reach a payment agreement when the pandemic ends. .
This could benefit Pea Núñez, who said that she and her two roommates already owe $ 12,800 in rent for their apartment in Boyle Heights. The tenants, who are artists, stopped paying rent in April.
“They rested me from work and one of the colleagues lost her job,” she said.
She added that her landlord has told them to apply for the county’s help for those who owe past-due rent, but she says they have already tried and have been unsuccessful.
“We do not qualify because they ask us for proof of our 2019 salary and we exceed the limit income,” said Núñez. “But why ask for 2019 wages, if the pandemic is this year.”
He added that the owner of the apartment has suggested that they seek government housing, Section 8, or other places and has told them that after the pandemic he plans to evict them.
Antonio Marín, 57, said he is also being affected by the harassment of the owner of the house where he lives. Four tenants live on that property and in January they received an eviction letter.
The man, whose home is in south central Los Angeles, said that although he has tried to pay his rent, the owner does not accept them. He said that it is unfair to him that they want to evict him unjustifiably after 26 years of living in the same place.
“One day the nephew came and said that she sold him the house and that is why we had to leave. Then the pandemic came and that’s how we are all this time, ”said Marín.
“We have obtained advice from ACCE and that is why we are still in the house but I do not know what will happen. We can no longer park the cars inside and padlocked the gate. “
He indicated that he would not like to be homeless in the midst of a crisis, since his wife, three children, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren live in his home.
“We are in the middle of a pandemic and instead of thinking about it [la emergencia] they think about taking us out, ”said Marín. “We want the senator to put in laws that support tenants more.”
After the press conference, activists posted a handmade notice at the entrance to Hertzberg’s home giving him five days to rule on the situation.
AB 1436 rules
Proposal AB 1436 or the Eviction Prevention Act by COVID-19 and for Stability of Homes, was presented by Assemblyman David Chiu.
If passed, the law would establish that a tenant cannot be evicted due to unpaid rent accrued during the State of Emergency by COVID-19 and for 90 days after, or until April 1, 2021, whichever date is earlier. .
Once the pandemic is over, tenants have 90 days to start their regular payments as long as they provide their landlord with a negative economic impact statement from COVID-19, which limits them being able to pay the entire rent.
Landlords must include any type of rental assistance that tenants received as part of the back rent.
It would also allow tenants and landlords to come to a voluntary payment agreement. Failure to comply with the agreement, owners can recover their money through civil actions, as is currently the case with unpaid rent of more than one year.
In response to the action taken in Encino, Senator Hertzberg’s office said it is aware of the protest and supports the right of protesters to congregate peacefully.
“He continues to focus on working with the leadership of the Senate to continue to establish programs to assist tenants during these extraordinarily difficult times,” said Cindy Baker, a spokesman for the senator.
