Assembly Bill (AB) 2179, which extends the state’s eviction moratorium for certain tenants who have applied for rental assistance on or before March 31, 2022, was approved by the California legislature on March 31, 2022. The moratorium will now last until June 30, 2022. The state and local governments both reported significant delays in the processing of application. And the distribution of rent relief funds, prompting the passage of this most recent extension.
What Does AB 2179 Say?
According to AB 2179, a landlord must prove that to evict a tenant before June 30, 2022. The landlord properly applied for rental assistance before April 1, 2022, to pay the portion of the rental debt that accrued as a result of COVID-19 hardship. And that application rejected due to lack of eligibility. A lack of funding, or the tenant’s failure to timely complete the portion of the application is the tenant’s sole responsibility. Tenants cannot evicted if the landlord and tenant timely submitted their applications for rental assistance and a decision is still pending.
Let’s Explain It Further:
The extension of the eviction protections, which is significant, does not cover failure to pay rent after March 31. As a result, tenants must start paying rent and utility bills on April 1. The state moratorium’s extension prevents local governments from enacting any new eviction regulations until July 1, 2022.
The federal government has given the state emergency rental assistance funds totaling about $5.2 billion. The state’s COVID-19 Rent Relief Program is in charge of managing $2.6 billion of the $5.2 billion total. And local governments are in charge of managing the remaining $2.6 billion. The state and local jurisdictions need more time to process applications. And distribute funds without having to worry about evicting tenants. So they have extended the eviction moratorium for those with pending applications by three months.
