Here's where tenants can get help after state eviction moratorium ends Sept. 30
Sacramento (Sept. 29, 2021) California’s moratorium on evictions for inability to pay rent due to COVID-19 is set to expire on Thursday, Sept. 30, but financial assistance is still available and some important protections continue.
Legislation signed by the governor this year protects tenants from eviction unless landlords seeking recovery of back rent first document that they have tried to help the tenant obtain government assistance or cooperated in the tenant’s effort to do so.
Landlords are also prohibited from suing for back rent until March 31 if a tenant has applied for rental assistance.
How to apply
Locally, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency provides rental assistance to qualified residents in the City of Sacramento and in other parts of Sacramento County. As of Sept. 24, the SHRA program had spent $61.9 million to help 8,273 households in the city and county of Sacramento.
The agency still has $34.9 million to disburse, about $4.7 million of which is designated for renters in the City of Sacramento. There is no deadline to apply, but SHRA urges that you do so as quickly as possible.
Tenants who have experienced financial hardship due to Covid are potentially eligible for 100 percent of rent owed from April 2020 to the present. Financial assistance is also available to pay utility bills. You can also receive assistance to pay past due rent at a home you no longer occupy.
To qualify for the program, your income has to be below certain thresholds. A family of four, for example, can’t earn more than $72,500.
Learn more about the rental assistance program and apply here. If you have questions about the program, you may contact SHRA staff by phone at (916) 449-1266 or by email at sera@shra.org
Renters in the City of Sacramento receive protection from unreasonable rent increases and evictions through the City’s Tenant Protection Program (TPP).
Limit on rent increases
Sacramento’s Tenant Protection Program (TPP) restricts how much landlords may increase rent for tenants. Rental rate increases shall not exceed more than 5% plus the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as calculated by the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), with a maximum cap at 10%. The annual rent adjustment maximum is determined based on the April CPI released by the DIR in mid-June. The DIR calculated the April 2021 CPI at 4%. Effective July 1, 2021, the annual rent adjustment maximum rate is established at 9%.
In addition to rent increase percentage caps, TPP enforces other restrictions on rent increases as well. Landlords are not permitted to increase rent more than once in a 12-month period. This prevents landlords from trying to circumvent the increase cap by breaking it down into several smaller increases throughout the year.
Eviction Protections
TPP also has protections against unreasonable evictions. In the City of Sacramento, a landlord must offer a renewal of a rental housing agreement if the tenant has resided in the unit for over 12 months. Additionally, A landlord may not evict a tenant without “just cause” if the tenant has resided in the unit for more than 12 months.
TPP is only for City of Sacramento residents. Further information can be found on TPP’s website. TPP can also be reached by phone at (916) 808-8121 or by email at tpp@cityofsacramento.org.
If you are a City of Sacramento resident who is having issues with your landlord, there is another City-specific resource that may be helpful. The Sacramento Mediation Center is contracted by the City of Sacramento to provide residents with mediation services for tenant-landlord disputes. The service is free and is a great way to settle disagreements out of court. Only City of Sacramento residents are eligible for this specific program; however, the Sacramento Mediation Center provides broader services to non-city residents as well. Email sacramento@calawyersforthearts.org or call (916) 850-9010 for more information.
If you are looking for overall help with your budget and/or other financial matters (banking, credit, savings, etc.) the City also offers free, personalized financial coaching for local residents through our Financial Empowerment Center. Call 916-808-4927 or email FEC@cityofsacramento.org to request an appointment.
