Sacramento Housing Alliance discusses eviction moratorium extension, what comes next

Sonseeahray Tonsall interviews Kendra Lewis, Sacramento Housing Alliance

AT THE END OF 2020 THEFINANCIALLY DURING THEPANDEMIC CALIFORNIA LANDLORDS1.7 BILLION DOLLARS AND THATEVERYONE IS 6 MORE MONTHS INACCOUNTED FOR ONE QUARTER OFALL THE BACK RENT OWEDNATIONWIDE.

NOW BOTH STATE ANDFEDERAL GOVERNMENTS HAVEEXTENDED EVICTION MORATORIUMSBUT EVENTUALLY THOSE BILLSWILL COME DUE HERE LIVE WITHUS TO TALK ABOUT THEEXTENSIONS OF WHAT HAPPENSAFTER THEM IS KENDRA LEWISWITH THE SACRAMENTO HOUSINGALLIANCE, WELCOME TO FOX 40NEWS AT 11.THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR THEINVITATION.

FOR ALL THE GUYSFOR BEING IN MY NOEVERYBODY'S BUSY BUSY THESEDAYS FIRST GIVEN YOURTHAT'S APART OF NOT BEING ABLETO PAY PERHAPS YOUR BIGGESTBILL BECAUSE OF THE COVIDECONOMY, WHAT WAS IT LIKEHEARING ABOUT THESE EXTENSIONSCONSIDERING IT'S A 100%.

ITHELPS BOTH THE RENTER AND THELANDLORD AND IT REALLY KEEPSPEOPLE WELL WE'RE STILLNAVIGATING THROUGH THEPANDEMIC.

AND THE ECONOMY SOIT IS AT THIS EXTENSION ISREALLY FROM THE VERY BEGINNINGOF THE PANDEMIC WHAT OURORGANIZATION HAS ADVOCATEDFOR.

MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLESTAY HOUSED IN NOW WE'RE IN AKIND OF A TRANSITION.

IT'SIMPORTANT THAT THAT THAT WESTILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORETIME TO GET PEOPLE CAUGHT UP.ACCORDING TO THE FED.

THEAVERAGE CALIFORNIAN WHO ISBEHIND ON THEIR RENT WASOF LAST YEAR TACK ON 6 MOREUNPAID MONTHS, CALIFORNIA'SNEWLY ANNOUNCED PLAN WILLEXTEND THE MORATORIUM THROUGHSEPTEMBER 30TH.

WE KNOWTHERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TROUBLELANDLORDS NOT OPTING INTOPROGRAMS THAT COULD HAVE PAIDTHEM ONCE THEIR TENANTS HADSIGNED UP FOR IT'S MONTHSREALLY ENOUGH TIME TO GET THISALL SORTED OUT WITH 5.2NOW IN THE MIX.I THINK SO I I KNOW OURORGANIZATION HAS BEEN TALKINGTO SECTIONS LOCALLY SHR AGENTSDOING A LOT OF WORK TO TRY TOGET AS MANY PEOPLE EDUCATEDAND AND TO APPLY.

I THINK YOUKNOW SOMETIMES BETTER THANNOTHING BUT I THINK THIS WILLA LOT JUST TO GET READY TO GOINTO THE FALL, SO I THINKTHERE'S TIME I MEAN WE COULDBETTER THAN GOING INTO JUST AFREE FALL.

OF EVICTIONS.EVEN TENANTS WOULD HAVE ALEGAL DEFENSE IN COURT TOEVICTION UNDER THE STATE PLANWOULD COVER AT LEAST 25% OFTHEIR MONTHLY RENT BETWEENSEPTEMBER OF LAST FALL THROUGHJUNE OF THIS MONTH OR IN BULKBY SEPTEMBER 30TH TO AVOIDGIVEN WHERE PEOPLE AREFINANCIALLY.YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S THEHARD PART BECAUSE EVERYBODY'SIN SUCH DIFFERENT SITUATIONSAND YOU KNOW WHAT THE JOBGET BACK TO JOBS GET BACK TOYOU KNOW SOME KIND OF NORMAL.IT'S SUMMER SO THEIR KIDS ARENOT IN SCHOOL PER SE YOU KNOWAND THERE'S A LOT TO TO TONAVIGATE.

BUT I AT THE SAMETIME I THINK YOU KNOW THATPEOPLE YOU KNOW IF WE ALL JUSTKIND OF SOLDIERED THROUGH THISTOGETHER.

WORK WILL MEAN ISORGANIZATIONS ARE TRYING TOHELP AS MANY PEOPLE AND INFORMAND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ASMUCH AS POSSIBLE AND NO LEGALSERVICES IS REALLY DOING A LOTRIGHTS AND YOU KNOW LANDLORDSALSO YOU HAVE YOU KNOW BEENSOLDIERING YET AND THEY WANTTHEIR MONEY SO YOU KNOW.

ITHINK OVERALL THAT THE GOODNEWS IS THERE IS MONEY.

I MEANTHAT'S THE HARD PART ISGETTING YOU KNOW HAVING MONEYFROM THE FEDS AND THE STATEAND SO YOU KNOW IF WE CANFIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET PEOPLETHEIR MONEY BACK IN THISYOU KNOW GOING INTO THE END OFTHE YEAR.

THE LANDLORDS ANDTHE RUNNERS OF ALL JUST BE INA BETTER PLACE.THE FEDERAL MORATORIUMEXTENSION IS JUST FOR ONEMONTH JULY 31ST, BUT UNDERTHAT YOU HAVE TO FILE ADECLARATION ATTESTING TO YOURFINANCIAL STATE OF AFFAIRS.BUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATIONHAS ALREADY SAID THERE HAS TOBE SOME OFF-RAMP TO ALL OFCALIFORNIA HAVE A LITTLE BITMORE TIME BUT FOR RENTERS WORKOR HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO PIECETOGETHER ENOUGH WORK THATMAKES UP THEIR PREVIOUSINCOME.

WHAT ARE YOU ADVISINGFOLKS TO DO.WHAT ARE DEVICES, YOU KNOWWHAT MONEY YOU HAVE PAID YOURLANDLORDS NOT GOT PAID UNLESSYOU JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.FIRST 4 HAS TRIED TO HAVE.UNDERSTANDING IN ACONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHERTO WORK TOGETHER AND THERE'STHERE'S A LOT OF STEPS BACK SOSO SO FORWARD OUR ORGANIZATIONAND SHRE I THINK ARE REALLY INSOME PROGRESS AND AND BUT ITHINK FIRST AND FOREMOST YOUKNOW JUST LET YOUR LANDLORDKNOW WHAT YOUR SITUATION ISAND AND TRY TO WORK IT OUT ASMUCH AS YOU CAN.

YOU KNOW JUSTSO THEY SO THERE'S IUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN BOTH OFYOU THAT YOU KNOW YOU'REYOU'RE TRYING.

ALL RIGHT IT'SVERY EMOTIONAL FOR THESELITTLE BEEN IN THIS SITUATIONFOR A LONG TIME MOTIONAL TOFOR THE LANDLORDS WHO HAVEBEEN WITHOUT THIS MONEY ANDTHEN TRYING TO PAY THEIR OWNBILLS.

WE APPRECIATE YOURINSIGHT.

THIS MORNING.